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GPSR, EPR, WEEE, CE marking, responsible person, EUDR and the digital product passport — EU compliance vocabulary for non-EU brands, defined simply. 2026.
This glossary covers the EU compliance and product regulation terms non-EU brands encounter when entering the European market. Each entry gives a plain-English definition and links to the full compliance page where the obligations, registration process and enforcement detail are explained. The glossary captures the term; the Compliance hub pages carry the owner-map, country tables and failure-point analysis. Terms are grouped by the type of obligation they represent: product safety, producer responsibility and emerging sustainability regulation.
Product Safety Terms
GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation) is the EU regulation — in force from December 2024 — that sets a baseline safety requirement for all consumer products placed on the EU market, whether or not they are covered by sector-specific product legislation. Under GPSR, every consumer product sold in the EU must be safe, must be accompanied by appropriate safety documentation, and must have an EU-established responsible person whose contact details appear on the product or its packaging. For non-EU brands, GPSR is enforced primarily through Amazon listing requirements and market surveillance authorities. GPSR obligations and the responsible person covers the full obligation set — documentation, labelling, Amazon enforcement and penalties.
The responsible person (RP) under GPSR is the EU-established entity — manufacturer, authorised representative, EU importer or fulfilment service provider — whose name and address appear on the product and who can be held accountable by market surveillance authorities for the product's safety compliance. Every consumer product sold in the EU must have an identifiable RP; without one, Amazon removes the listing. Non-EU brands without an EU establishment must appoint an RP specifically — typically an authorised representative or a specialist compliance service. GPSR obligations and the responsible person explains who can act as RP, what they do, and how to appoint one.
An authorised representative (AR) is an EU-established entity appointed in writing by a non-EU manufacturer to fulfil specific regulatory obligations on their behalf in the EU. Under GPSR, the AR can act as the responsible person. Under sector-specific legislation — CE marking directives, the Batteries Regulation, WEEE — the AR fulfils registration and compliance obligations in the member states where they are required. The AR mandate must define the products covered and the obligations transferred. The AR takes on legal liability for the obligations within their mandate scope, which means reputable AR services require documentation review before accepting appointments. GPSR obligations and the responsible person covers the authorised representative role under GPSR in detail.
CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that a product meets the essential requirements of the applicable EU product legislation — the directives and regulations that govern its product category. CE is required for a wide range of product categories including toys (Toy Safety Directive), electronics and electrical equipment (Low Voltage Directive, EMC Directive), personal protective equipment, machinery, medical devices and pressure equipment. The CE mark is affixed by the manufacturer; it must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity and, in many cases, a technical file. CE marking is not a quality mark or a certification — it is a compliance self-declaration that the product meets EU legal requirements. A full guide to CE marking obligations and documentation is available at GPSR and EU product safety.
A declaration of conformity (DoC) is a formal document issued by the manufacturer declaring that a product meets the requirements of all applicable EU directives and regulations. It must state: the manufacturer's identity and address, the product description, the applicable EU legislation and harmonised standards, and be signed by an authorised person. The DoC must be kept for ten years from the date the product is placed on the market. Amazon may request the DoC for CE-marked product categories. Without a valid DoC, a CE-marked product is non-compliant regardless of whether the product itself meets the technical requirements. GPSR and EU product safety covers declaration of conformity requirements and the technical file that sits behind it.
A technical file is the body of documentation that demonstrates a product's compliance with the applicable EU legislation and harmonised standards. It typically includes: a product description and intended use, technical drawings or specifications, a list of applicable standards and regulations, test reports from accredited laboratories, a risk assessment, and the declaration of conformity. The technical file is not submitted to any authority — it is kept by the manufacturer and must be made available to market surveillance authorities on request for ten years after the product is placed on the market. Under GPSR, a safety information file serves a similar purpose for products not covered by sector-specific legislation. GPSR obligations and the responsible person covers the documentation requirements for non-EU brands under GPSR.
Producer Responsibility Terms
EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) is the regulatory principle that makes the producer — the party placing a product on the market — financially and operationally responsible for the end-of-life management of that product or its packaging. In the EU, EPR schemes exist for packaging, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), batteries, textiles and other product categories. Each scheme requires producers to register with the national authority or a PRO (Producer Responsibility Organisation), report quantities placed on the market, and pay fees that fund the collection and recycling infrastructure. For non-EU sellers, EPR registration is a per-country obligation in each EU market they sell into. EU packaging EPR for non-EU sellers covers the most widely applicable EPR obligation for e-commerce sellers in full.
Packaging EPR is the producer responsibility obligation that applies to the packaging in which goods are sold or shipped. Any party placing packaged goods on the EU market must register with the national packaging EPR scheme in each country of sale, report the weight and material type of packaging placed on the market annually, and pay the applicable fees. There is no single EU-wide packaging EPR registration — it is a country-by-country obligation. Germany (LUCID/Verpackungsgesetz), France (AGEC/Citéo), Spain (ECOEMBES), Italy (CONAI) and Austria (ARA) each operate separate schemes. Amazon enforces packaging EPR by requiring registration numbers in seller account settings. EU packaging EPR for non-EU sellers covers country-by-country registration, fees and Amazon enforcement in detail.
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is the EU regulatory framework that makes the producer of electrical or electronic equipment responsible for funding the collection and recycling of that equipment at end of life. Any product that depends on electric current or electromagnetic fields — including phones, laptops, earbuds, cables, LED bulbs, power tools and products with integrated batteries — falls within WEEE scope. Non-EU sellers of in-scope products must register with the national WEEE scheme in each EU country of sale and often appoint an authorised representative. Amazon enforces WEEE by requiring registration numbers in seller account settings for each EU marketplace. WEEE compliance for non-EU sellers covers registration by country, authorised representative requirements and Amazon enforcement.
The EU Batteries Regulation (Regulation 2023/1542) replaced the previous Batteries Directive in 2023 and applies to all batteries — portable, industrial, EV and SLI — placed on the EU market. It introduces new obligations for producers of batteries and products containing batteries: registration with national take-back schemes, labelling requirements (capacity marking, carbon-footprint declaration for certain categories), due-diligence obligations for cobalt and lithium sourcing, and — from 2027 — a battery passport for industrial and EV batteries. Non-EU sellers of any product containing a battery are affected. The Batteries Regulation works alongside WEEE — WEEE covers the device, the Batteries Regulation covers the cells. WEEE compliance for non-EU sellers covers how WEEE and the Batteries Regulation interact for electronics and gadget sellers.
LUCID is Germany's public packaging register operated by the ZSVR (Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister). Any producer placing packaging on the German market under the Verpackungsgesetz (Packaging Act) must register in LUCID — free of charge — and obtain a LUCID registration number. This number must be provided to Amazon in Seller Central and to any dual system (PRO) the producer contracts with for packaging licensing. LUCID registration is the first step; contracting a dual system and paying fees based on reported packaging quantities is the second. Amazon verifies LUCID numbers against the ZSVR public register and suspends listings for sellers with invalid or missing numbers. EU packaging EPR for non-EU sellers covers the full LUCID registration and dual system contracting process.
EAR (Elektro-Altgeräte Register), operated by stiftung ear, is Germany's national WEEE producer register. Any producer of electrical or electronic equipment placing products on the German market must register with stiftung ear at ear-system.de and obtain an EAR registration number. Non-EU producers can register through an authorised representative who is EU-established. The EAR registration number must be submitted to Amazon for the amazon.de marketplace. Stiftung ear also coordinates take-back logistics between producers and municipal collection points. Germany is the strictest WEEE enforcement market in the EU — EAR registration should be treated as a day-one obligation for any seller of electronics entering the German market. WEEE compliance for non-EU sellers covers stiftung ear registration and the authorised representative requirement.
Emerging Regulation Terms
EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation, Regulation 2023/1115) prohibits the placing on the EU market of certain commodities and products — including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya, wood, rubber, and derived products — that have contributed to deforestation or forest degradation after 31 December 2020. Operators placing these products on the EU market must conduct and document due-diligence assessments confirming that the goods do not originate from recently deforested land, and submit a due-diligence statement to an EU competent authority before placing the goods on the market. E-commerce sellers of affected product categories — including leather goods, wooden furniture, rubber products and chocolate — are in scope. The regulation's enforcement timeline has been subject to phased implementation; check the current effective dates before assuming compliance deadlines.
ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Regulation 2024/1781) is the EU framework that enables the European Commission to set ecodesign requirements — covering durability, repairability, recyclability, energy efficiency and information obligations — for specific product categories through delegated regulations. ESPR replaces and significantly expands the previous Ecodesign Directive, which covered only energy-related products. The first product categories under ESPR include textiles, furniture, iron, steel and electronics. ESPR also mandates the introduction of a Digital Product Passport (DPP) for regulated product categories. Non-EU brands should monitor the ESPR work plan for their product categories and prepare for new labelling, design and data-sharing obligations as they enter into force.
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is an EU initiative — introduced under ESPR — that requires products to carry a machine-readable data carrier (such as a QR code) linking to a standardised dataset about the product's materials, components, repairability, recyclability and supply chain. The DPP is intended to give consumers, repairers and recyclers access to the information they need to extend the product's life and improve end-of-life processing. DPP requirements will be introduced progressively by product category as the European Commission adopts delegated regulations under ESPR — batteries are among the first categories, with the battery passport required from 2027 for industrial and EV batteries. Non-EU brands selling into the EU should monitor DPP requirements for their product categories as they are published.
The Triman logo is a mandatory sorting symbol required on all packaging placed on the French consumer market — it indicates to consumers that the item is subject to the national sorting and recycling scheme and should be disposed of in the appropriate collection stream. The Triman requirement is unique to France and stems from the AGEC (Anti-Gaspillage pour une Économie Circulaire) law. From January 2023, the Triman logo must appear on all packaging placed on the French market, either printed on the packaging itself or included on a label. Amazon France enforces this through listing compliance requirements. EU packaging EPR for non-EU sellers covers the Triman logo requirement alongside French EPR registration obligations.
EPREL (European Product Registry for Energy Labelling) is the EU database where suppliers of energy-related products — appliances, light sources, tyres, displays and others — must register their products before placing them on the EU market. The registration generates the product's EU energy label data, which must be displayed on the product and on online listings. Amazon requires EPREL registration numbers and energy label data for in-scope product categories listed on EU marketplaces. EPREL registration is managed through the European Commission's EPREL portal and requires technical product data including energy efficiency class, model identifier and test results. Non-EU sellers of energy-related products must register in EPREL before their first EU sale.
Related Compliance Pages & Guides
The full compliance obligation detail for each term family:
- GPSR obligations and the responsible person — responsible person appointment, documentation, Amazon enforcement and penalties
- GPSR and EU product safety overview — what GPSR is, which products are in scope and the full compliance framework
- EU packaging EPR for non-EU sellers — country-by-country packaging EPR registration, LUCID, AGEC, CONAI and Amazon enforcement
- WEEE compliance for non-EU sellers — WEEE and EAR registration, authorised representatives and Amazon enforcement
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