§2.1 What types of products and sale channels are covered by the GPSR?

Products covered The GPSR covers consumer products. Nevertheless, products which were initially designed exclusively for professional use, but have subsequently migrated to the consumer market, should also be subject to the GPSR because they could pose risks to the health and safety of consumers when used in reasonably foreseeable conditions. An example would be typical renovation and construction products sold in DIY (Do-It-Yourself) shops that sell directly to ordinary consumers. The GPSR product definition is wide enough to cover “any item” , whether tangible or non-tangible or of a mixed nature. It includes apps and software products, including for example chatbots, and sets requirements for their safety. This definition also allows the GPSR framework to be used for products that might appear on EU consumer markets in the future. The GPSR applies to products placed or made available on the market whether new, used, repaired or reconditioned. The GPSR obligations therefore apply fully to second-hand, refurbished and reconditioned products, including repaired products when placed or made available on the market by an economic operator (but not self-repairs done by consumers). It does not apply to products that have to be repaired or reconditioned prior to being used if those products are placed or made available on the market and are clearly marked as such. The obligations of the GPSR apply to products placed or made available on the market as of 13 December 2024 , and to any offer of products made on that date or later. Against this context, products covered by the previous General Product Safety Directive that are in conformity with that Directive and were placed on the market before 13 December 2024 can be made available on the market also after 13 December 2024. This means that, for example, the new requirements to affix certain traceability and product safety information to the product, or its packaging, under the GPSR do not apply to products that were placed on the market before 13 December 2024. Please remember that placing on the market means the very first making available of the product on the Union market. This needs to be determined at the level of every specific unit of the product. Sales channels covered The GPSR ensures that consumers have access to safe products whichever the sales channel they choose. The GPSR therefore covers product safety for all types of sales channels, including online sales and other types of distance sales. The GPSR also ensures that consumers have access to the same product and safety information when buying a product online or through other types of distance sales, just as they would have in a bricks-and-mortar shop. Products offered for sale online or through other means of distance sales are considered to be made available on the market if the offer is targeted at consumers in the EU. An offer for sale is considered, after a case-by-case analysis, to be targeted at consumers in the EU, if the relevant economic operator directs its activities to one or more Member States. Relevant factors that should be taken into consideration for the case-by-case analysis include (9): — the geographical areas to which dispatch is possible, — the languages available, used for the offer or for ordering, — the means of payment and, — the use of the currency of the Member State or a domain name registered in one of the Member States.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07