Who is the responsible person? What the GPSR requires from your webshop
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
The European Product Safety Regulation has been in force since December 13, 2024, and also affects small webshops that only resell products. What data you need to display with your product, what you need from your supplier, and how to keep your purchases traceable.
You sell a lamp, a gadget, or a set of party supplies that you purchased from a wholesaler. The box has a brand name, but nothing else. A customer emails: whose product is this, and who should I contact if it breaks? You look into it and realize you don't know — you only have a packing slip from your supplier.
Since late 2024, that's more than just an awkward conversation. The European Product Safety Regulation, usually abbreviated as GPSR, sets requirements for the information that must accompany a product. According to the NVWA, Regulation (EU) 2023/988 applies from December 13, 2024. Below, we outline what that practically means for a small webshop or store — and where you can read up on it yourself, because we are not lawyers and the precise requirements are in the regulation itself.
What the GPSR is about (and what it isn't)
The regulation concerns products offered to consumers that are not intended for consumption (eating or drinking). The NVWA explicitly states that this can also include second-hand, repaired, and reconditioned items. Several categories are excluded, including medicines, animal feed, live plants and animals, plant protection products, antiques, and foodstuffs.
For most webshops selling gifts, party supplies, office supplies, or household items, this means that almost your entire assortment falls under it. Even if you don't manufacture anything yourself and only resell.
What needs to be visible for distance selling
If you sell online, several things must be clearly visible with the offer itself. The NVWA mentions three blocks:
Manufacturer's details — name, postal address, and email address. If the manufacturer is outside the EU, the details of the responsible person within the EU must also be included.
Information to identify the product — such as an image, type, and product data.
Warnings and safety information that should be on the product, packaging, or in an accompanying document, in a language the customer understands.
That last point is the biggest surprise in practice. If there's a warning on the packaging — not suitable for children under 3 years, keep out of reach of children, not dishwasher safe — that information should also be on your product page, not just in the box. Also important: a product without a responsible party in the EU may not be sold in the EU, according to the NVWA.
What you need from your supplier
As a reseller, you don't have this information yourself. So you'll have to request it. A short standard email for each new supplier will save a lot of searching later:
Who is the manufacturer, with name, postal address, and email address?
Who is the responsible person in the EU, if the manufacturer is outside it?
What warnings, instructions for use, and safety instructions belong to this item, and in what languages are they available?
Is there a batch or type number to identify the batch?
If you don't get an answer to questions 1 and 2, that's information in itself. For a new supplier, this is a good first test — even before placing a large order.
Traceability: knowing what you bought and to whom you delivered
In addition to the visible information, the regulation requires internal order. The NVWA mentions, among other things, procedures regarding purchasing, traceability, and complaint handling, and points out that technical documentation must remain available for ten years after being placed on the market.
For a small store or webshop, it comes down to four habits:
For each purchase batch, record who the supplier was, when you purchased, and the quantity.
Keep track of which batch went to which customer, so that in case of a recall, you can email specifically instead of everyone.
Collect complaints in one place. Two identical reports about the same item are a signal.
Work with a recognizable batch designation on your own stock, for example, a colored sticker per purchasing round.
The GPSR is about information, not boxes. However, it affects your packing table in three ways.
Accompanying documents must remain in the box. Instructions for use and warning cards belong with the product; do not remove them to use a smaller box. A cardboard shipping box of 15x15x15 cm (€ 1.99) or a bundle of recycled letterbox boxes A6 (€ 17.95 per 100 pieces) provides just enough space to send the paperwork flat.
You must be able to prove that a package left unopened. In case of a complaint about a missing leaflet or another item, it helps if the box was sealed. VOID security seals (€ 9.95 for 60 pieces) leave visible traces when opened; a tight seam with KINZO packaging tape of 50 meters (€ 3.00) is the minimum.
Repackaging requires attention. If you sell individual items from a bulk package, the warning text is often on the outer box and not on the individual item. In that case, keep the outer box or take a photo of it, so you can transfer the text to your product page and to your own sticker.
A realistic approach for the coming weeks
You don't have to rewrite 2,000 product pages in one weekend. Start with your best-selling items and anything involving an age limit, battery, or chemical product. For each supplier, put contact details and warning texts in one document, and update it with every new purchase. For a new supplier, request it immediately with the first quote — then you'll never have to chase it.
Read the details at the NVWA; they also refer to the official text of the regulation. If you are unsure about your specific situation, present it to a lawyer specializing in product regulations.
Get started
Do you want to get your labeling and sealing in order? Look in Stickers & Tapes for stickers, seals, and tape, in Price Guns & Labels for price guns and refills, and in Packaging & Shipping for boxes and letterbox packaging where your documentation fits. Don't know which box size fits your item plus leaflet? Email your dimensions to info@verpakkingdeals.nl — we're happy to help.
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