Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety

Summary

General Product Safety Regulation replacing Directive 2001/95/EC. Applies to all consumer products placed on the EU market that are not fully covered by sector-specific Union legislation; requires pre-market risk assessment, traceability and safety monitoring.

Scope

Scope (Art. 2): Applies to all products placed or made available on the EU market (new, used, repaired or reconditioned), where there are no specific provisions in Union legislation governing the safety of the product concerned. Excluded (Art. 2(2)): (a) medicinal products for human or veterinary use; (b) food; (c) feed; (d) live plants and animals; (e) products of human or animal origin; (f) plant protection products; (g) equipment on which consumers ride or travel where that equipment is operated by a service provider within the framework of a transport service.

Obligations for the manufacturer

• ▸ Conduct a risk assessment before placing the product on the market (Art. 9)
• ▸ Affix traceability information: model/batch + manufacturer/importer name and address (Art. 18)
• ▸ Ensure product is safe under normal and reasonably foreseeable conditions of use
• ▸ Take corrective action for non-compliant products and notify authorities (Art. 20)