EU GPSR & You
The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. While we aim to share insights that may be helpful for your business, every situation is unique, and laws can vary significantly by jurisdiction. Before making any legal, financial, or business decisions, we strongly recommend consulting with a qualified attorney or other professional advisor who can provide guidance tailored to your specific circumstances.
There has been a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt regarding the EU General Product Safety Regulation going into effect December 13, 2024.
It’s understandably stressful to discover a new business regulation that impacts your livelihood, but the goal of these governmental initiatives is never to crush small businesses.
What is the GPSR?
The GPSR (which the author’s brain refuses to type first try in the correct order) is a set of standards that specify the safety and performance criteria of products sold in the EU. The goal is to protect consumers from unsafe products.
It’s a good thing!
Our current understanding is that it requires:
A representative in the EU that can be contacted in the case of product issues.
A traceable supply and production chain to prevent organizations from misleading consumers about their products manufacturing practices.
Compliant labeling featuring information such as Company Name, Model and Serial Number, Disposal information, etc.
The specifics of how this applies to Small Businesses (and Furry Businesses) in practice is still being determined.
Business as Usual
There is a pattern these things typically follow:
First, there is a general freak out about how things are “impossible” to accomodate.
Second, people learn more and get more clarity about the real-life requirements.
Third, businesses put in some processes and procedures in place and it becomes another normal aspect of doing business.
This is what we saw with the rollout of the GDPR and The Chamber expects the same pattern to follow over the next few months. We are currently somewhere between the first step of panic and second step of learning real-life requirements.
In the meantime, there is a lot of information available just in the past few weeks.
Etsy Seller Handbook - GPSR Section - More factual than day-to-day helpful, but from a resource that’s definitely had lawyers looking at it.
Corvo Cattivo Registered Agent Services - Corvo Cattivo has began offering Registered Agent services at what seems like a reasonable fee. This is one of the requirements of the GPSR.
Simply Business Article on GDPR - The least confusing explanation of requirements we’ve found.
Wangleberry Thread - An informed and less “The Sky is Falling” take on the situation.
What Do I Do?!
The Chamber’s recommendation at this time is:
Don’t panic.
Probably a good idea to temporarily stop selling to EU on December 13 until further guidance is provided. As always in a business, the risks you choose to assume are always your decision.
Let those with more time, money, and resources bear the brunt of figuring out what this means in practice.
Once the dust has settled, implement the practices required, and resume selling to the EU.
Remember, at the end of the day, EU Consumers crave your furry stickers, original artwork, t-shirts, leather dog masks, and equine anatomy models.
We’ll figure this out together.
