EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) Compliance Guide

EU General Product Safety Regulation

The EU General Product Safety Regulation (gpsr), Regulation (EU) 2023/988, was officially published in the Official Journal on May 23, 2023, entered into force on June 12, 2023, and will apply from December 13, 2024. On that date, the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) 2001/95/ECwill be repealed.

Products Covered by the GPSR

a. Products intended for consumer use.

b. Products not intended for consumer use, but which may nonetheless be used by consumers.

c. New, used, repaired, or refurBIShed products, provided that no more specific legislation exists addressing the safety of that product at the time it is placed on the market.

For example:

Electrical products operating at 50–1000 V ACand 75–1500 V DCfall under the low voltage directive (LVD)for electrical safety, and therefore the GPSR does not cover their electrical safety requirements.

Electrical and Electronic Products

In cases of short circuitsor other safety issues, electronic products may pose risks such as electric shock, fire, or mechanical injury. Therefore, the GPSR requires manufacturers to assess product safety measures to prevent hazards such as fire or accidents caused by faulty equipment.

Categories of electronic products include, but are not limited to:

1. Audio-visual equipment

2. Office equipment

3. Lighting products

Applicable Standards

1. EN 62368– Audio/video, information, and communication technology equipment.

2. EN 60598– Luminaires.

Documentation Requirements

Article 9 of the GPSR requires manufacturers to provide technical documentation and test reportsbefore placing products on the market, as proof of product safety. Manufacturers must also ensure that clear instructions for useare provided to consumers. These include:

a. Technical documentation

b. User manuals

c. Labels

d. Warnings and safety instructions

e. Label placement requirements

Laboratory Testing

Article 5 stipulates that only safe productsmay be placed on the EU market.

The most direct method to verify compliance with the GPSR is to conduct product testing in accordance with relevant standards. These may or may not be explicitly referenced in the General Product Safety Directive.