The provisional agreement was published on 29th November 2022, leaving the new General Product Security Regulation (GDPR) just a few steps away from adoption
Directive 2001/95/EC has been designed to establish a safety net for products not regulated elsewhere, and the profusion of e-commerce has been one of the driving forces behind the need to start work on the revision of the GPSD. Additionally, these much needed changes apply to the Digital Services Act.
Final adoption is expected in March 2023. Once adopted, the new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSD) will enter into force eighteen months later.
You will find the highlights of the new GPRD listed below:
> E-commerce: Online platforms will need a single point of contact for product safety, and will have a duty of care to track their sales agents. Authorities could order unsafe products to be delisted.
> Responsible person: Manufacturers and suppliers can only sell in the EU if they have a responsible party within the EU. These responsible parties must respond to requests by authorities and provide the required documentation and information.
> Technical documentation: Manufacturers must provide documentation to demonstrate the safety of their products (including product details, risk assessment and a list of standards used to demonstrate compliance), to be retained for ten years.
> Reminder: Authorities will have greater powers to request more effective product recalls. The aim is to increase return rates by offering consumers refunds, repairs or replacements, where appropriate.
