In this guide, we list examples of products that are covered by the General Product Safety Regulation. By reading this guide, you also learn about the different product categories for which a harmonised standard exists under the regulation, the significance of a harmonised standard, and what you should do when selling products that are not covered by such standards.

Product List Creation Methodology

In this guide, we list product categories for which there exist one or more harmonised standards referenced under the General Product Safety Directive, and provide examples of covered products and relevant standards. Note that, according to the General Product Safety Regulation, such standards also provide a presumption of conformity with the safety requirements laid down by the regulation.

Harmonised standards are generally necessary to comply with the safety requirements set by the regulation. Applying a harmonised standard would mean that your product is presumed to be safe, as explained in Article 7 of the regulation:

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1. For the purpose of this Regulation, a product shall be presumed to be in conformity with the general safety requirement laid down in Article 5 of this Regulation in the following cases:

(a) it conforms to relevant European standards or parts thereof as far as the risks and risk categories covered by those standards are concerned, the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with Article 10(7) of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012; or

(b) in the absence of any relevant European standards as referred to in point (a) of this paragraph, the product conforms to national requirements, as regards the risks and risk categories covered by health and safety requirements laid down in the national law of the Member State in which it is made available on the market, provided that such law is in compliance with Union law.

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Continue reading List of Products covered by the General Product Safety Regulation

The Batteries Regulation requires producers to assume responsibility for their waste batteries, by setting requirements concerning registration, reporting, collection and treatment of their waste batteries.

In practice, meeting these obligations tends to require the appointment of a battery waste management company. These are also referred to as producer responsibility organisations or PROs. These are companies that help you manage the physical waste management, in addition to registration, reporting, and the payment of fees.

In this guide, we explain what are the requirements for importers and manufacturers, and provide information on several producer responsibility organisations based in the EU.

Continue reading Battery Producer Responsibility in the EU: A Practical Guide

If you import or manufacture climbing equipment in the EU, you must comply with requirements such as labelling, documentation, and testing.  Unsafe climbing gear can result in fatal accidents, which therefore requires strict adherence to the applicable requirements.

In this guide, we take a closer look at the PPE regulation, General Product Safety Regulation, and the REACH regulation in relation to climbing gear and equipment.

Continue reading Climbing Equipment Regulations and Standards in the European Union