Product Compliance in the EU
Selling products in the EU requires compliance with a comprehensive framework of safety regulations. The CE marking is the most visible symbol of this compliance, indicating that a product meets all applicable EU health, safety and environmental protection requirements. Non-compliance can result in products being seized at borders, removed from marketplaces and significant fines imposed by market surveillance authorities.
CE Marking
CE marking is required for products covered by specific EU directives, including electronics, toys, machinery, medical devices, construction products and personal protective equipment. The marking involves: identifying applicable directives, conducting conformity assessment, preparing technical documentation, issuing a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) and affixing the CE mark. For some product categories, third-party testing by a Notified Body is required, while others allow self-declaration based on internal production controls.
It is important to understand that CE marking is not a quality mark or a certification in the traditional sense. It is a declaration by the manufacturer that the product complies with all relevant EU legislation. The manufacturer bears full responsibility for this declaration, and market surveillance authorities can request the technical documentation at any time to verify compliance.
Key regulations for e-commerce products
- General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR): The new GPSR (applicable from December 2024) replaces the General Product Safety Directive and introduces specific requirements for online sales, including product safety information on marketplace listings and obligations for fulfilment service providers
- REACH: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals – applies to all products containing chemical substances sold in the EU market
- RoHS: Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment, limiting the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and other dangerous materials
- WEEE: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive – requires producer registration and recycling contributions in each member state where products are sold
- Packaging and Packaging Waste: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements in each member state, requiring registration, reporting and financial contributions for packaging recycling
- Battery Regulation: The new EU Battery Regulation introduces due diligence, carbon footprint declarations and recycled content requirements for batteries placed on the EU market
Marketplace requirements
Amazon, eBay and other EU marketplaces increasingly require compliance documentation before allowing product listings. This includes DoCs, test reports, REACH declarations and product safety data sheets. Non-compliant listings risk removal and account suspension. Under the GPSR, marketplaces themselves have new obligations to cooperate with authorities and ensure that products listed on their platforms carry the required safety information.
EPR obligations across the EU
Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging is now mandatory in most EU member states, and the requirements differ by country. Sellers shipping products to consumers in Germany need a LUCID registration, in France they must register with Citeo, and similar schemes exist in every member state. Failing to register can result in sales bans and fines, making EPR compliance a critical part of any pan-EU selling strategy.
Zunapro assists sellers with product compliance assessment, documentation preparation and marketplace compliance uploads across all EU markets, keeping you ahead of evolving regulatory requirements.
