It has been more than a decade since proposals were first made to reform the long-standing General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) in Europe. A lot has happened since then, and as of this week, we now have a new General Product Safety Regulation on the books to replace the GPSD.
The General Product Safety Regulation was published in the Official Journal on 23rd May 2023, setting the clock running on the implementation of the widespread reforms these laws will bring. The Regulation enters into force 20 days from today, with a transition period that will see its provisions applying in full as of 13 December 2024. For most product manufacturers and distributors, there will be adjustments to be made to ensure compliance, and the end of next year could come around quickly for some. It’s time to start getting ready.
These laws have been a long time in the making, and represent a significant achievement for the team at the European Commission responsible for getting this over the line. Its measures will change many aspects of consumer product regulation in Europe, and some of the more novel provisions will surely be influential for reforms in other sectors, and in other parts of the world.
Link to the new text can be found here:
Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council
More analysis to follow. Get in touch with any member of the Cooley Products Law team if you have any questions.
