General Product Safety Regulation - EDANA guidance
In May 2023, the European Union adopted Regulation 2023/988 which stands as a pivotal component within the European Union's legal framework for product safety, set to replace the General Product Safety Directive and the Food Imitating Product Directive on December 13, 2024. This regulation represents a modernization of the broader EU general safety framework.
EDANA guidelines - GPSR
The aim of the GPSR is to enhance the functioning of the internal market while ensuring a high standard of consumer protection. It establishes fundamental rules concerning the safety of consumer products that are either placed on the market or made available to consumers.
Under the GPSR, it is mandated that all consumer products available on the EU market meet safety standards, imposing specific responsibilities on businesses to guarantee compliance. Notably, the GPSR serves as a safety mechanism for products or risks not covered by other EU legislation, ensuring a safety net for European consumers against hazardous products, both presently and in the future.
The Regulation introduces several novelties that companies must adapt to before the enforcement of its provisions, starting December 13, 2024. These changes encompass not only the obligations imposed on businesses but also procedural rules and general principles applicable to European institutions and Member States in implementing the Regulation. The latter is also likely to have an indirect impact on businesses, as seen in the overhaul of the standardization process.
To support the practical application of the Regulation in various aspects, EDANA published guidelines to help Company Members comply with the requirements of the GPSR, in addition to the Guidelines on the application of the EU general product safety legislative framework by businesses which were adopted by the European Commission on 21 November 2025. While the EDANA guidelines provide additional sector-specific clarification, Company Members should primarily rely on the guidance of the European Commission.