GPSR Regulation 2023/988 in Brief

Looking for the "GPSR regulation" or the "GPSR directive" and want to know what the text actually says and which articles concern a seller? This article summarises Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council with article references. It is a summary, not a substitute for the text of the act: for important decisions read the original (links at the end). For a general introduction for sellers see What is GPSR.

Key points at a glance

• GPSR is a regulation - (EU) 2023/988 of 10 May 2023 on general product safety - not a directive. It is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States (Art. 52).
• It applies from 13 December 2024 and replaced Directives 2001/95/EC and 87/357/EEC (Arts. 50 and 52).
• Its core is Art. 5: economic operators may place on the market or make available only safe products.
• For sellers the main provisions are Art. 9 (manufacturer), 11 (importer), 12 (distributor), 16 (responsible person) and 19 (information in distance-selling offers).
• Penalties are set by Member States (Art. 44). In Poland they are laid down in the act of 7 November 2025, in force since 3 January 2026.

Regulation or directive - why the confusion

A directive must be transposed into national law, while a regulation applies directly. GPSR replaced the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC), so the phrase "GPSR directive" may stem from the fact that the predecessor was a directive. The current act is a regulation: there is no Polish "implementation", only national provisions applying the regulation. In Poland that is the act of 7 November 2025 on supervision of general product safety (Dz.U. 2025 item 1826), which designates authorities, control procedure and fines.

Key articles for sellers

Article	What it covers
Art. 2-3	Scope and definitions. Excluded are, among others, medicinal products, food, feed and antiques (Art. 2(2)); products covered by specific EU safety rules fall under GPSR only for aspects and risks those rules do not cover (Art. 2(1)).
Art. 4	Distance sales: products offered online are deemed made available on the market if the offer is directed at consumers in the Union.
Art. 5	General safety requirement: only safe products.
Art. 9	Manufacturer: safe design, internal risk analysis and technical documentation kept for 10 years, type or batch number, manufacturer's details, instructions and safety information, complaint handling.
Art. 11	Importer: checks conformity before placing on the market, shows its own details on the product, ensures instructions in the language determined by the Member State, keeps a copy of the technical documentation for 10 years.
Art. 12	Distributor: verifies that the manufacturer and importer have met the marking and instruction requirements and does not make available a product that appears non-compliant.
Art. 13	Who is treated as a manufacturer: among others, anyone placing a product on the market under their own name or trademark.
Art. 16	Responsible person: a product may not be placed on the market unless an entity established in the Union is responsible for the tasks in Art. 4(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020.
Art. 19	Distance sales: the offer must contain manufacturer details, responsible person details (where the manufacturer is outside the EU), product identification, and warnings and safety information.
Art. 22	Online marketplaces: contact points, acting on authorities' orders within two working days, an interface letting traders provide information, suspension of traders that frequently offer non-compliant products.
Art. 44	Penalties set by Member States: effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
Art. 50-52	Repeal of Directives 2001/95/EC and 87/357/EEC, transitional provision and application from 13 December 2024.

What this means for an Allegro seller

An offer on a marketplace directed at consumers in the EU is making a product available on the market (Art. 4), so Art. 19 applies: the offer must contain the manufacturer's details, where needed the responsible person's details, product identification, and warnings in Polish (Art. 4 of the Polish act). The marketplace must provide an interface for you to supply this (Art. 22(9)). See GPSR on Allegro: How to Add Offer Data and GPSR penalties.

Where to read the original

The text of the Regulation is available on EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2023/988. It was amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/2748, which only adds emergency procedures for an internal-market emergency (Art. 8a). The Polish act is in the Journal of Laws: Dz.U. 2025 item 1826.

Frequently asked questions

Is GPSR a directive or a regulation?

A regulation. It is numbered (EU) 2023/988 and applies directly in all Member States (Art. 52). The directive it replaced is 2001/95/EC.

Since when does the GPSR regulation apply?

From 13 December 2024 (Art. 52). Products compliant with Directive 2001/95/EC that were placed on the market before that date may continue to be made available (Art. 51).

Is there a ready-made template for documentation in the regulation?

No. The Regulation sets the minimum content of technical documentation (Art. 9(2)) but provides no official template.

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Legal status as of: 28 October 2026
Legal basis: Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (Arts. 2-16, 17(2), 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 44, 50-52; as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/2748, which only adds emergency procedures); Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (Art. 4); Polish act of 7 November 2025 on supervision of general product safety (Dz.U. 2025 item 1826; Arts. 4, 6, 10, 60-85, 93). We did not check Commission implementing acts or harmonised standards. This text is a summary, not legal advice.
Last review: 28 October 2026