Checklist: Launching a New Product in the EU (2026 Edition)

This 2026 checklist is designed for brands that want to place consumer products on the EU market and stay aligned with the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR, Regulation (EU) 2023/988). It complements our previous 2025 edition and reflects current enforcement practice under the EU compliance framework for consumer products.

You can download our General Product Safety Regulation checklist here. This checklist gives you a structured overview of the key requirements and documentation needed to support compliance with the EU GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation). Use it to guide your preparation of risk assessments, labeling, technical files, and other core elements of a compliant product safety file. Implementing the items in this checklist early can help prevent gaps and streamline your overall GPSR compliance process.

1) Confirm which EU rules apply to your product

Map your product category and legal framework

Start by identifying whether your product is covered only by GPSR or also by specific EU harmonisation legislation (such as toys, electrical products, radio equipment, cosmetics, medical devices, PPE, machinery, construction products, or food contact materials). If a specific legal framework applies, it usually brings additional technical file elements, markings, and declarations (see our guide on Toy Safety in the EU where relevant).

Define your target markets and sales channels

List the EU countries you will sell to and where you will sell (own website, Amazon, Etsy, eBay, retail, distributors). This affects language requirements, packaging and environmental rules, and marketplace documentation expectations. If you sell via marketplaces, review Amazon EU sales and GPSR requirements and our guide on how to sell to the EU as a non-EU seller.

2) Build a compliant product identity and traceability setup

Assign unique product identifiers

Ensure each product has a clear identifier (SKU, model number, batch/lot number, or serial number where relevant). The goal is that you can trace production batches and respond quickly if there is a safety complaint or recall.

Define economic operators

Clarify who is the manufacturer, importer, distributor, and (if required) the EU Responsible Person under GPSR. These roles are not just labels, they decide who must hold documents and respond to authorities.

3) Perform a structured risk assessment (the core GPSR deliverable)

Identify hazards and foreseeable misuse

Document hazards across relevant areas (mechanical, choking, sharp edges, chemical, flammability, electrical, overheating, microbiological where relevant, and user information risks). Include foreseeable misuse (what users commonly do, not just what the manual says). See the full GPSR risk analysis process and our article on product age grading in the EU.

Define risk controls and residual risk

For each hazard, document how you reduce risk (design changes, material controls, warnings, instructions, packaging controls, quality checks). Confirm what residual risk remains and why it is acceptable for consumers. See practical GPSR warning examples.

Use standards as evidence where appropriate

Where EU harmonised standards or widely accepted reference standards exist, use them to support your safety rationale. Keep a record of the edition/year used and which clauses are relevant to your product.

4) Collect supplier evidence and test reports

Validate materials and chemical compliance

Collect and archive relevant test reports and supplier declarations (for example REACH, RoHS, and POPs testing, nickel release, heavy metals, etc.). Where chemicals are involved, review Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Generic supplier statements without test scope detail are often not sufficient.

Always request compliance documents

Always request compliance documents. If you do not have them, your supplier should:

• Product description and pictures
• Current artwork (packaging, labeling, etc.)
• Bill of materials
• Any pre-existing supplier declarations
• Test reports
• Any other relevant compliance documents (e.g., certifications, Safety Data Sheets)
  
  

5) Prepare and maintain the technical documentation (technical file)

What to include in a practical GPSR technical file

Your file should typically include product description, bill of materials, design specifications, risk assessment, test reports, labels and packaging proofs, instructions and warnings, supplier compliance evidence, and internal quality controls. See our detailed GPSR Technical File Guide.

Retention and availability

Keep documentation accessible and ready to provide to EU market surveillance authorities on request. Non-compliance can result in penalties (see GPSR penalties guide and what happens if you don’t comply).

6) Appoint an EU Responsible Person if you are non-EU

When an EU Responsible Person is required

If your business is outside the EU and you sell to EU consumers, you typically need an EU-based GPSR Responsible Person. Read more about appointing an EU Responsible Person.

Lifecycle responsibility

Following certification, EaseCert will act as the designated EU Responsible Person for the product's entire lifecycle on the EU market, without recurring fees.

7) Draft the Declaration of Conformity or compliance declaration

What it should contain

Prepare a declaration aligned with the EU Declaration of Conformity guide. Ensure alignment between product identifiers and documentation.

8) Ensure labels, warnings, and instructions are correct

Mandatory product and packaging information

Review labelling requirements under GPSR and confirm your warnings are compliant using warning examples.

9) Prepare for marketplace compliance and Safety Gate expectations

EU Safety Gate registration

Clients who sell online need to register at the EU Safety Gate Online Marketplace Module. EaseCert offers an EU Safety Gate Registration Service. With this, we act as the main contact for market surveillance authorities. This is legally required for online sellers.

Prepare for product liability and recalls

We need to be prepared for the upcoming EU Product Liability Directive. In worst case, a recall may be necessary (see how to handle a product recall and new EU recall requirements). EaseCert helps prevent this risk by managing direct communication with authorities.

10) After launch: keep compliance alive

Packaging and EPR obligations

Beyond product safety, you may need environmental registrations such as WEEE registration or packaging schemes. For Germany, review LUCID registration. For France, see Triman (Info-Tri) guidance.

Each certification includes the following:

• Comprehensive risk assessment tailored to the products to identify safety issues and demonstrate EU compliance. See our risk analysis template for reference.
• Creation of a Technical File, containing all required compliance documentation. This file serves as the central compliance record.
• Creation of customized multi-language product label for each group including safety warnings originating from the risk analysis. See label template for reference.

For EPR (packaging), we can also help with France Triman (Info-Tri) Labelling Requirements and LUCID Registration Guide – Packaging Compliance in Germany.

Need support?

Explore what we offer, review our GPSR compliance services, check typical GPSR and Responsible Person costs, browse our FAQ, or contact us directly.