The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) 2023/988 provides a high level of consumer protection. It should give a level playing field for businesses, thus improving the way the European Union’s (EU) internal market works. The new GPSR replaces the current general product safety directive and food imitating product directive, which guarantee the safety of consumer goods.  It amends the legislation to account for the increasing use of on-line marketplaces such as Amazon, Etsy, Ebay and other websites.

The Purpose of the New GPSR

The new GPSR regulation applies to new, repaired, used and reconditioned consumer products placed on the European market (EU).  In addition, this new regulation covers the European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) along with Northern Ireland.

It accommodates new product routes to market such as on-line sales.  GPSR caters for new consumer buying trends such as upcycling and the growth in second-hand, pre-loved sales.  It permits closer collaboration amongst the economic operators making up a product’s supply chain.  Furthermore, it plugs the gaps in harmonised standards for many product categories.  It should allow more efficient and effective product safety recalls.  Moreover, it reduces the scope for regulatory divergence amongst EU countries.

A key component of the new GPSR regulation is to ensure that product safety information is provided in a language the consumer can easily understand. There are twenty-four official languages of the EU. Ensuring safety information is in the correct language is a role allocated to the manufacturer. However, many manufacturers based outside the EU are unaware of their obligations. As an importer, Everything Dinosaur is obliged to check that the safety information is in the correct language. In the absence of this provision from the manufacturer, we have undertaken to provide safety information is in the correct language.

Many of the items we sell into the European market are CE marked and comply with the EU Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC.  As such, these products carry the 3+ safety symbol.  At Everything Dinosaur, we have provided translations for the phrase “not suitable for children under 3 years” in the twenty-four official languages of the EU.

General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988 - translating safety information into 24 languages.

As part of Everything Dinosaur’s compliance with the EU General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988 safety information has to be translated into the twenty-four official languages of the European Union. Table credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Table credit: Everything Dinosaur

For further assistance and information, contact Everything Dinosaur team members: Email Everything Dinosaur.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Toys.