Requirements for general consumer goods

General consumer goods are products that do not fall within the scope of special legislation.

General consumer goods must meet the general safety requirements of the Consumer Safety Act, which means that they must not pose a danger to the health of anyone.

General consumer goods include products such as:

  • Furniture
  • Ladders
  • Candles
  • Lighters, such as cigarette lighters
  • Roller and other blinds
  • Textiles and children’s clothing
  • Domestic swimming pools and outdoor hot tubs
  • Sports and exercise equipment
  • Decorative items and utensils for household purposes

General Product Safety Regulation

The EU General Product Safety Regulation GPSR is a general statute for consumer products. The GPSR includes provisions on

  • the general safety requirement
  • assessing the safety of consumer products
  • the recall of dangerous consumer products
  • the Safety Gate Portal
  • the obligations of companies and providers of online marketplaces in the supply chain.

The obligations of the GPSR apply to all economic operators in the supply chain of consumer products, such as manufacturers, EU importers, distributors and fulfilment service providers. In addition, the GPSR imposes separate obligations on the providers of online marketplaces.

The GPSR does not impose obligations on private consumers engaging in sales in a non-professional manner, for example when selling second-hand products on a flea market.

Application of the GPSR to different types of products

The GPSR applies to almost all physical and digital consumer products. 

Application of the GPSR:

  • Only consumer products that are not excluded from the scope of the regulation. Consumer products are products that are intended for consumers or products that, under reasonably foreseeable conditions, are likely to be used by consumers even if they are not intended for consumer use. The GPSR is not applicable to products that are only used professionally, not even in a complementary manner.
  • Also intangible, digital products not included in a physical product, such as software and applications.
  • Both new and used products and also repaired and refurbished products, but not antiques.

Applicability of the GPSR in relation to other legislation

As a complementary provision, the scope of the GPSR has a complicated definition, and it depends on the scope and substantive requirements of the other legislation.

  1. The GPSR is not even complementarily applicable to certain product groups subject to specific legislation, even if they are consumer products. These groups are listed in Article 2(2) of the GPSR, including medicinal products and food.
  2. Certain parts of the GPSR do not apply to products covered by Union harmonisation legislation. The harmonisation legislation particularly includes the legislation listed in Annex I to the Market Surveillance Regulation ((EU) 2019/1020).
  3. The GPSR is only complementarily applicable to consumer products whose safety is covered by specific legislation. It only applies to the aspects, risks and risk categories that are not covered by the specific legislation.

GPSR

Market Surveillance Regulation

Complementarity

The GPSR is so-called general legislation, a “safety net regulation” for consumer products. On the contrary, specific legislation regulates the requirements of a specific product group, such as toys. Where specific legislation does not contain provisions for a particular hazard, general legislation can be applied in a complementary manner.

Validity

The GPSR is applicable starting 13 December 2024. It repeals the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC, GPSD) and the so-called Food Imitating Products Directive (87/357/EEC, FIP) on 13 December 2024. Products placed on the market before 13 December 2024 that comply with the directive are allowed to be sold out.

  • A product placed on the market before 13 December 2024 does not have to meet the requirements of the GPSR. 
  • A product placed on the market on or after 13 December 2024 has to meet the requirements of the GPSR. 
  • If the first pieces of a product model or type were made available before 13 December 2024 but the following pieces of the same product model or type only after 13 December 2024, the former are not subject to the requirements of the GPSR but the latter are.

Placing on the market

A product is placed on the market when it is made available on the Union market for the first time. This means that placing on the Union market can only happen once for each individual product across the EU. 

Once placed on the market, the product can then be made available on the market again and again. The manufacturer or EU importer places the product on the market, and the product is subsequently made available on the market in the distribution chain.

Even if a product model or type was made available before the new requirements entered into force, individual units of the same model or type placed on the market after the entry into force of the new requirements have to comply with those new requirements. For example, the same model of a sweater may have been made available on the market for years, but the GPSR applies to pieces placed on the market on or after 13 December 2024.

The Consumer Safety Act is secondary and complementary

The Consumer Safety Act is a form of secondary and complementary general legislation. If a product contains electrical or pressure features, for example, it must also meet the requirements of the special legislation that applies to the product, in addition to the safety requirements of the Consumer Safety Act. For example, an electric desk or a pool that uses electricity for heating or recirculating water must comply with the general safety requirements of the Consumer Safety Act and the safety requirements for electrical equipment and/or pressure equipment.

Chemical safety of general consumer goods must also be taken into account. Further information on chemicals is available from Tukes’ chemical information service.

Detailed information on the safety requirements for different product groups can be found on the subpages.

CE marking only on products that require it by law

Products that are within the scope of the Consumer Safety Act but not within the scope of any special legislation must not include a CE marking. A CE marking must only accompany products that require the marking by law.

Some special legislation, such as the following, require products within their scope to include a CE marking:

  • Electromagnetic compatibility – EMC;
  • Hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment – RoHS.

The purpose of electromagnetic compatibility is to ensure that electrical equipment does not create disturbances that would affect other equipment and is immune to disturbances caused by them. RoHS legislation restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical equipment.

Tukes supervises compliance with the Consumer Safety Act

Tukes is a market surveillance authority that uses spots checks to monitor the safety of consumer goods that are on the market. Tukes does not grant advance approval for products or inspect them in advance. The company is responsible for ensuring that their products are safe and comply with requirements.

The safety characteristics of some products are subject to supervision by several different authorities. The competent supervisory authority depends on the circumstances in which a product is found to be unsafe or in which the product is typically used. For example, risks resulting from materials that are transferred from cooking equipment to food are the responsibility of the Finnish Food Safety Authority. If, however, the handle of a saucepan falls off and causes a risk of burns to consumers, the matter becomes Tukes’ responsibility.

In addition to Tukes, other competent authorities that monitor compliance with the Consumer Safety Act include Finnish Customs, which ensures the safety of consumer goods that are imported to Finland.