What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? The EU's per-country register/report/pay regime, in plain English

EPR makes the company placing a product on the market financially responsible for its post-consumer stage. It runs per-country and per-stream — packaging, WEEE, batteries, textiles — with marketplace delisting now the sharpest enforcement lever. Here's what it actually is.

EU Responsible Person (EU RP): who needs one, what they actually do, and how to designate one

An EU Responsible Person is the EU-established economic operator that authorities can reach when a non-EU brand sells into the Union. Since 13 December 2024, every covered consumer product placed on the EU market must have one named on the listing, the product, or the packaging. Here is what the role does, who needs it, and what to put in place this quarter.

GPSR for Shopify sellers: the Article 19 block, the EU Responsible Person, and what changes for every EU-shipping store

Shopify is not a marketplace under GPSR Article 22 — which makes the seller, not the platform, responsible for Article 19 compliance on every listing. Here is the exact listing block, the EU Responsible Person requirement, the theme-template change, and the per-region catalogue audit every Shopify store needs to run for the EU 27.

What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)? The EU's per-SKU data record, in plain English

The Digital Product Passport is the structured digital record the EU is rolling out under ESPR — batteries first (Feb 2027), textiles next, then most physical product categories through 2030. Here's what it actually contains, who has to issue one, and what to do this quarter.

What is GPSR? A plain-English overview

The EU General Product Safety Regulation has been enforceable since 13 December 2024. Here is what it actually changes for online sellers — the obligations, the dates, and the practical baseline.

What is REACH SVHC? The 0.1% w/w per-article threshold and Article 33 communication duty, in plain English

REACH — Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 — requires anyone supplying an article in the EU that contains a Substance of Very High Concern above 0.1% w/w per article to (a) communicate sufficient information up the B2B chain under Article 33(1), (b) respond to consumer requests within 45 days under Article 33(2), and (c) notify the ECHA SCIP database. The Candidate List is updated by ECHA roughly each January and June — every update can pull new substances into your existing products.

What is CE marking? The EU self-declaration that lets you place a product on the market

CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that a product meets every applicable EU product directive — Toy Safety, LVD, EMC, RED, PPE or Machinery, in most ecommerce cases. It is self-declared (Module A) for non-Annex-IV products, but you must hold a technical file and a signed EU Declaration of Conformity (EN ISO/IEC 17050-1) for ten years. Amazon EU has intensified DoC requests since August 2025 and delists ASINs that cannot produce one.

What is EmpCo? The EU's anti-greenwashing law, in plain English

EmpCo — Directive (EU) 2024/825 — is the live EU law banning vague eco-claims, offset-based 'carbon neutral' product claims and unverified sustainability labels. Enforcement starts 27 September 2026. Here's what it actually does.

What is the EU Right to Repair Directive? Plain-English overview of (EU) 2024/1799

The Right to Repair Directive — (EU) 2024/1799 — forces manufacturers of regulated product categories (washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, vacuum cleaners, smartphones, tablets and the categories ESPR expands to) to repair on request, offer spare parts and tools at a non-discriminatory price, and provide an indicative repair price up front using the standardised European Repair Information Form (Annex I). Repaired products get a 12-month warranty extension. Member states must apply the directive by 31 July 2026.

What is PPWR? The EU's directly-applicable packaging law, in plain English

PPWR — Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — is the EU's new packaging law. Same text in all 27 member states. General application starts 12 August 2026, with tightening milestones through 2038. Here's what it actually does.

GPSR on Amazon EU: the Manufacturer Contact attribute, the EU Responsible Person field, and how Seller Central enforces Article 22

Amazon is the EU's largest GPSR enforcer. The Manufacturer Contact and Responsible Person attributes in Seller Central are mandatory on covered listings since 13 December 2024, and Amazon delists non-compliant ASINs automatically. Here is what each field expects, the per-marketplace differences, and the audit every Amazon EU seller needs to run this quarter.

Non-EU seller obligations: the actual EU compliance stack for brands shipping into the Union from outside

If you sell physical consumer products into the EU from outside it, six regimes attach to every order: GPSR, EU Responsible Person, EPR, PPWR, EmpCo, and (from 2027 onwards) DPP. Here is the full obligation stack, the deadlines that are already live, and the operational checklist for 2026.

Banned green claims under EmpCo: the six practices to remove from your marketing

Under Directive (EU) 2024/825, six specific marketing practices are banned outright across the EU 27 from 27 September 2026 — no balancing test, no defence. Here are the six, with concrete before/after examples.

PPWR packaging requirements: the seven checks every EU seller must pass

PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) imposes seven concrete packaging requirements that phase in between 12 August 2026 and 2038. This guide walks each check with what is enforceable now versus what to capture for upcoming milestones.

EPR registration by country: the EU 27 register/report/pay map sellers actually need

EPR is implemented per member state — LUCID, ADEME, CONAI, Verpact and 24 others. Here's how the national registers work for packaging, WEEE, batteries and textiles, what PPWR Art. 44 changes from 12 August 2026, and where non-EU sellers need an Authorised Representative.

DPP for textiles: what sellers should track now

The Digital Product Passport lands on textiles before most other categories. Here is what fashion and apparel sellers should be capturing in 2026 to be ready.

Seller responsibilities under GPSR

GPSR assigns specific duties to manufacturers, importers, distributors and fulfilment providers. This guide maps the obligations to the role you actually play — and what 'documented' means when an authority asks.

Required product information under GPSR

GPSR Article 19 lists the information online sellers must surface before checkout — manufacturer details, Responsible Person, identifiers, warnings, safe-use instructions. Here is what each field really means in practice.

EPR for online sellers: how marketplaces enforce it, and what gets your listings delisted

For e-commerce sellers, the sharpest EPR risk in 2026 isn't national fines — it's marketplace delisting under the Digital Services Act. Here's how Amazon EU, Otto, Bol.com and others enforce EPR, what pay-on-behalf actually costs, and how to pre-empt suspension.

PPWR for e-commerce sellers: the parcel, the marketplace, and what changes 12 August 2026

PPWR explicitly covers e-commerce packaging and names online marketplaces as responsible actors. From 12 August 2026, the shipping box, mailer and polybag are in scope — and listing-level enforcement is the sharpest stick. Here's the practical guide.

GPSR for Etsy sellers: handmade is not exempt, the Responsible Person field, and what changes for makers shipping into the EU

Etsy is a marketplace under GPSR Article 22, and 'handmade' carries no exemption from the General Product Safety Regulation. Since 13 December 2024, every Etsy listing shipped into the EU 27 must carry manufacturer, Responsible Person, and warnings — and Etsy delists listings missing them. Here is what an Etsy shop actually needs to do.

EmpCo for fashion and textile brands: the highest-risk sector, mapped to the six bans

Fashion is the most-scrutinised sector under EmpCo. Generic 'sustainable' collections, offset-based 'climate neutral' garments, and self-made eco-badges are squarely in the banned set. Here's the sector-specific playbook for 2026.

DPP and product traceability: the supply-chain data work the passport actually demands

The Digital Product Passport is a traceability instrument before it is a consumer-facing artefact. Here's the data chain — identifier, components, suppliers, substances, country of origin, evidence — that any DPP under ESPR or the Batteries Regulation will demand, and how to start capturing it now.

GPSR for online marketplaces

GPSR Article 22 layers product-safety duties on top of the Digital Services Act. Here is what online marketplaces must now do, and what sellers should expect from the platforms they list on.

Common GPSR mistakes online sellers make

After a year of GPSR enforcement, the same gaps appear over and over in marketplace suppressions and national-authority findings. Here are the seven most common — and what a clean fix looks like.

Ecommerce compliance readiness: the per-SKU, per-regime readiness framework for EU-shipping catalogues in 2026

EU compliance is not a single 'are we compliant?' verdict — it is a per-SKU, per-regime readiness state across GPSR, EU RP, EPR, PPWR, EmpCo and DPP. Here is the five-layer framework, the per-SKU score that drives prioritisation, and the catalogue-audit pattern that turns a regulatory backlog into a shippable engineering ticket list.

EU compliance for textile and apparel sellers: the full 2026 regulatory stack

Textiles and apparel are among the most regulated product categories in the EU — and the regulatory burden is increasing. A textile seller entering the EU market in 2026 faces obligations under at least six overlapping regulations, with more arriving through the ESPR framework. This guide maps the complete regulatory stack for textile products, explains what each regulation requires, and identifies where the obligations overlap.

EU compliance for electronics sellers: CE, WEEE, RoHS, batteries, and DPP

Electronics and electrical products carry the heaviest regulatory burden of any consumer product category in the EU. A single electronic product can fall under six or more EU regulations simultaneously — each with its own documentation, labelling, registration, and reporting requirements.

EU compliance for cosmetics sellers: what is different from GPSR

Cosmetics are a special case in EU product compliance. The Cosmetics Regulation (EC 1223/2009) is a standalone, comprehensive framework that predates GPSR and operates alongside it. Cosmetics sellers face a distinct set of requirements — including their own "Responsible Person" role that is different from the GPSR EU Responsible Person — and getting the two confused is one of the most common compliance mistakes in this category.

EU compliance for toy sellers: safety, CE marking, and the updated Toy Safety Regulation

Toys are one of the most strictly regulated product categories in the EU. The existing Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC) sets comprehensive safety requirements, and the European Commission has adopted a new Toy Safety Regulation (published 2024) that will replace it with even stricter rules. If you sell toys in the EU — whether you manufacture them, import them, or resell them through marketplaces — you face a regulatory stack that combines product safety, chemical restrictions, CE marking, traceability, and marketplace enforcement.

EU compliance for furniture and home goods: REACH, GPSR, and product safety

Furniture and home goods occupy an unusual position in EU product compliance. Unlike electronics (which have CE marking directives) or cosmetics (which have a dedicated regulation), furniture has no single sector-specific EU regulation. Instead, compliance comes from the intersection of GPSR, REACH, flammability standards, PPWR, and — increasingly — ESPR sustainability requirements.

What is a Digital Product Passport and when does your product need one?

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a machine-readable digital record that consolidates essential information about a product's identity, composition, compliance, sustainability, and lifecycle. Mandated under the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) — Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 — the DPP is intended to make supply chains more transparent, support circular economy objectives, and give consumers, regulators, and recyclers structured access to product information.

EU product compliance roadmap 2026–2030: every deadline in one place

EU product compliance is not a single event. It is a rolling series of deadlines — some already enforced, some weeks away, some years out. Missing one can mean listing suppression, customs refusal, fines, or product recalls. This roadmap consolidates every major EU product compliance deadline from 2026 through 2030 in one reference document.

The cost of EU product non-compliance: fines, delistings, and recalls in 2025–2026

Non-compliance with EU product regulations is no longer a theoretical risk. In 2025 and 2026, enforcement has accelerated across every channel — marketplace automated checks, customs interceptions, market-surveillance authority actions, and Safety Gate alerts have all increased significantly. The cost of non-compliance is no longer limited to a fine you might someday receive. It is listing suppression today, customs refusal tomorrow, and a recall notice next week.

EU compliance for US and UK brands: the complete market access guide

If you are a US or UK brand selling consumer products to EU buyers, 2024–2026 has fundamentally changed your compliance obligations. The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo), and intensified marketplace enforcement mean that selling into the EU now requires structured compliance work that many non-EU brands have never done.

Country of origin labelling for EU products: when is it mandatory?

Country of origin is the second most common compliance gap across products scanned on Regonance — missing from 32.5% of all scanned products. This guide explains when origin labelling is legally mandatory in the EU, when marketplaces enforce it anyway, and what "country of origin" actually means in EU law.

"Made in" rules for the EU: what counts and what does not

There are no harmonised EU rules on when a product can carry a "Made in" claim. The rules come from customs law, national regulations, court rulings and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive — and they do not always agree. Here is what applies.

EU textile labelling requirements: fibre composition, care symbols, and what is changing under ESPR

Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 governs fibre composition disclosure for textiles sold in the EU, and the ESPR revision is expected to add digital labelling and Digital Product Passport duties. Here are the current rules and what to prepare now.

GPSR compliance checklist: every field your EU product listing needs

The General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988) — GPSR — has been applicable since 13 December 2024. Every consumer product listing on an EU marketplace or ecommerce storefront must carry specific information. Missing a single field can result in listing suppression, marketplace enforcement, or regulatory action.

Amazon suspended my listing for GPSR non-compliance — how to fix it

If your Amazon EU listing has been suppressed, deactivated, or flagged for GPSR non-compliance, you are not alone. Since the General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988) became applicable on 13 December 2024, Amazon has been running automated compliance checks across every EU marketplace — and enforcement has intensified throughout 2025 and 2026.

EU Responsible Person vs Authorised Representative: what is the difference and which do you need?

"EU Responsible Person" and "Authorised Representative" are two terms that non-EU sellers encounter constantly when trying to comply with EU product regulations. They sound similar, they serve related purposes, and they are easy to confuse — but they are legally distinct roles created by different regulations with different scopes.

How to find and appoint an EU Responsible Person — step by step, with costs

If you are a non-EU seller placing consumer products on the EU market, you almost certainly need an EU Responsible Person (EU RP). The requirement comes from GPSR (Regulation (EU) 2023/988), applicable since 13 December 2024. Marketplaces are actively enforcing it — Amazon, bol.com, Etsy, and others are suppressing listings that do not include EU RP details.

GPSR for TikTok Shop sellers: what is required in 2026

If you sell physical products to EU consumers through TikTok Shop, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) applies to you. The regulation does not distinguish between traditional ecommerce and social commerce — any channel that makes consumer products available to EU buyers is in scope, and GPSR Article 22 places explicit obligations on online marketplaces to verify compliance.

EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR): what changed on August 12 and what sellers must do now

On 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2025/40, known as the PPWR — became directly applicable across all 27 EU Member States. It replaced the 1994 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive that had governed packaging rules for three decades. If you sell packaged products into the EU, the rules have changed. There is no grace period for existing stock.

PPWR and Amazon: what changes for FBA sellers in 2026

If you sell on Amazon EU marketplaces — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, or Belgium — the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) now applies to you. The regulation became directly binding on 12 August 2026, and Amazon is named in the regulation as a responsible actor when it handles packaging or logistics on behalf of third-party sellers.

Packaging material data requirements under PPWR: the complete field list

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) — Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — requires every producer to hold documented data on every packaging format they place on the EU market. This is not optional supplementary information. From 12 August 2026, the Declaration of Conformity and technical documentation for packaging are regulatory requirements, and the data behind them must be available to authorities on request.

PFAS in food-contact packaging: the August 2026 EU restriction explained

As of 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) restricts per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly called PFAS or "forever chemicals" — in food-contact packaging. This is the most immediately enforceable requirement of the PPWR and the one that requires action from any seller whose packaging touches food.

EU green claims rules: what changes on September 27, 2026

On 27 September 2026, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive — Directive (EU) 2024/825, known as EmpCo — becomes enforceable across all EU Member States. From that date, environmental claims made to EU consumers are subject to strict new rules. There is no transition period. Claims that were acceptable on September 26 may be unlawful on September 27.

Words you can no longer use on EU product listings after September 2026

From 27 September 2026, the EU Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) — Directive (EU) 2024/825 — makes certain environmental marketing claims unlawful when used without substantiation. This is not a guideline or a best practice recommendation. It is enforceable law, transposed into the national consumer protection rules of every EU Member State.

Care label requirements for products sold in the EU: the regulation-by-regulation guide

Care instructions are the third most common compliance gap across products scanned on Regonance — missing from 25% of scanned products. There is no single EU care-labelling mandate, but national law, GPSR, marketplace policy and ESPR make care labels effectively compulsory.

7 MIN READ · UPDATED 30 AUGUST 2026 · REVIEWED BY THE REGONANCE EDITORIAL TEAM

Care instructions are the third most common compliance gap across products scanned on Regonance — missing from 25% of all scanned products. The rules around care labelling in the EU are less straightforward than most sellers assume: there is no single EU-wide mandate requiring care labels on all products, but a combination of national laws, marketplace policies, sector-specific regulations, and upcoming ESPR requirements makes care labelling effectively mandatory for most consumer goods.

This guide explains which products need care labels, what the labels must contain, which standards apply, and what is changing.

The current legal position

There is no universal EU care labelling law

Unlike fibre composition (which is mandated by the Textile Labelling Regulation for textiles), care instructions are not required by a single EU-wide regulation for all product categories. The obligation comes from multiple sources, depending on the product category and the Member State.

National requirements

Several EU Member States require care labelling for specific product categories under national law:

France requires care instructions on textile products. French consumer protection rules (Code de la consommation) mandate that consumers receive sufficient information to use and maintain a product safely and effectively. For textiles, this is interpreted as requiring care labels.

Germany does not have a specific care label law, but the general obligation to provide adequate product information (BGB and ProdSG) is interpreted by courts as requiring care instructions where their absence would lead to product damage or consumer harm.

Other Member States have varying approaches — some require care labels for specific categories (footwear, leather goods), others rely on general consumer information obligations.

GPSR and product safety

GPSR (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) requires manufacturers to provide safety information and instructions for safe use with consumer products. For products where improper care could create a safety hazard — textiles that are flame-retardant, electronic textiles, products with specific washing temperature requirements for hygiene — care instructions are part of the safety information required under GPSR.

Marketplace requirements

Amazon, Zalando, bol.com, and other EU marketplaces include care instructions in their product data requirements for textiles, footwear, and other relevant categories. Listings without care information may be flagged or suppressed during compliance reviews.

Which products need care labels

Textiles and apparel

Care labels are expected on all textile products sold in the EU. The combination of national requirements (particularly France), marketplace policies, and industry standard practice makes care labelling effectively mandatory for clothing, home textiles, and fabric accessories.

Footwear

EU Directive 94/11/EC on labelling of materials used in footwear components requires material composition labels for footwear but does not mandate care instructions. However, care instructions are standard industry practice and expected by marketplaces.

Leather goods

No EU-wide care labelling requirement, but national consumer protection rules in several Member States expect care information for leather products — particularly for maintenance-sensitive items (bags, belts, wallets).

Home textiles

Curtains, bedding, towels, cushion covers, and other home textiles are covered by the Textile Labelling Regulation (fibre composition) and by the same national and marketplace care labelling expectations as apparel.

Children's products

Products intended for children may have additional care labelling requirements under the Toy Safety Directive or GPSR, particularly where care instructions relate to safety (washing temperature for hygiene, warnings about drying methods).

Electronics and appliances

Care and maintenance instructions for electronic products are part of the technical documentation and user manual requirements under applicable CE marking directives. These are not "care labels" in the textile sense but serve the same function: telling the consumer how to maintain the product safely.

What care labels must contain

For textiles: ISO 3758 symbols

The international standard for textile care labelling is ISO 3758, maintained by GINETEX. Care labels for textiles should include the five standard care symbol categories:

Washing — washtub symbol with temperature and cycle indicators
Bleaching — triangle symbol indicating permitted bleaching methods
Drying — square symbol with tumble-dry or line-dry indicators
Ironing — iron symbol with temperature dots
Professional textile care — circle symbol for dry cleaning and wet cleaning

The symbols must follow the ISO 3758 standard exactly. Custom icons, non-standard pictograms, or text-only care instructions (without symbols) do not comply with the international standard and may not be accepted by retailers, marketplaces, or national authorities.

Language requirements

Care symbols under ISO 3758 are designed to be language-independent — the pictograms communicate the same information in every language. However, if you add text-based care instructions alongside or instead of symbols, the text must be in the official language(s) of the Member State where the product is sold.

Permanence

Care labels on textile products must be durable — the information must remain legible throughout the product's useful life. Printed labels that wash out after a few cycles do not meet this expectation.

What is changing under ESPR

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is expected to make care and maintenance instructions mandatory for covered product categories — starting with textiles.

The rationale is sustainability: proper care extends product life, reduces waste, and lowers environmental impact. The ESPR framework treats care information as part of the product's sustainability data, not merely a consumer convenience.

Under the expected DPP requirements for textiles:

care instructions will be a required data field in the Digital Product Passport;
care information will need to be machine-readable, not just visually readable;
the care data may need to include not just "how to wash" but also "how to repair," "how to extend product life," and "how to recycle or dispose."

This represents a significant expansion from the current ISO 3758 care symbol model. Sellers should start thinking about care data as structured product information, not just a label sewn into a garment.

How to get care labels right

Step 1: Determine which care processes your product supports

Work with your manufacturer or fabric supplier to determine the correct care parameters: maximum washing temperature, bleaching suitability, drying method, ironing temperature, and professional care compatibility. This is a technical determination based on the product's materials and construction.

Step 2: Generate ISO 3758 symbols

Use the determined care parameters to select the correct ISO 3758 symbols. GINETEX provides the official symbol set. Many label printing services include ISO 3758 symbol generation as a standard feature.

Step 3: Attach the care label to the product

For textiles, the care label must be physically attached to the product — printed, woven, or sewn in. For online sales, the care information must also appear in the product listing.

Step 4: Include care information in online listings

For ecommerce, care instructions should appear in the product description or in the structured product data fields provided by the marketplace. Some marketplaces accept ISO 3758 symbols as images; others expect text descriptions. Check each platform's requirements.

Step 5: Prepare for digital care data

As ESPR requirements approach, start structuring care data in a machine-readable format — not just as a physical label. The Digital Product Passport will need care information as structured data, which means your care parameters need to exist in a database, not only on a sewn-in label.

How Regonance helps

Regonance scans product listings and identifies missing care instructions alongside other compliance gaps — manufacturer identity, country of origin, fibre composition, and safety information. Each finding is traced to the regulation or marketplace requirement that expects it.

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Compliance guidance based on published EU regulatory texts. Does not constitute legal advice. National care labelling requirements vary by Member State.

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Compliance guidance based on published EU regulatory texts. Not legal advice. Consult qualified counsel for your specific situation.