GPSR by Product Category: Toys, Electronics, and Clothing — What Each Sector Must Do

GPSR establishes a baseline of product safety requirements that apply to all consumer products. However, many product categories are also subject to sector-specific EU directives and regulations that layer additional requirements on top of GPSR. If you sell toys, electronics, or clothing, here is what you specifically need to know.

Toys

Toys are regulated by both GPSR and the Toys Safety Directive (2009/48/EC) — currently under revision to become a Regulation. The Toys Safety Directive applies to any product designed or intended for play by children under 14.

Key requirements for toy sellers:

• CE marking is mandatory. Toys must carry CE marking before being placed on the EU market. CE marking indicates conformity with all applicable EU directives including toy safety, electromagnetic compatibility, and RoHS (for electronic toys).
• Age and safety warnings. Specific age restrictions (e.g., "Not suitable for children under 3 years") must appear on product pages and packaging in the language of the country of sale. GPSR requires these warnings to be present on online listings, not only on physical packaging.
• Choking hazard warnings. Toys with small parts must display the choking hazard warning icon and text. This is a mandatory on-listing requirement under GPSR's product information rules.
• Technical documentation. Manufacturers must maintain a technical file (safety assessment, test reports, standards applied) for 10 years after the last product is placed on the market.
• EN 71 standards compliance. The European Standard EN 71 series covers mechanical safety, flammability, chemical properties, and electrical safety for toys. Third-party testing by an accredited notified body is required for many toy categories.

Electronics

Electronics sellers face the most extensive multi-regulation compliance requirements. In addition to GPSR, electronics are subject to:

• Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU) — for equipment designed for use with voltage 50–1000V AC or 75–1500V DC
• Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (2014/30/EU) — for equipment that can generate or is susceptible to electromagnetic disturbances
• Radio Equipment Directive (2014/53/EU) — for wireless devices including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G/5G equipment
• RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU) — restricting hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
• WEEE Directive — requiring take-back and recycling obligations

For GPSR compliance specifically, electronics product pages must display:

• The manufacturer's legal name, registered address, and EU contact
• Model or type designation (an ASIN number is not sufficient — a manufacturer model number is required)
• Applicable safety certifications with declaration of conformity available on request
• EU Responsible Person details for non-EU manufactured goods
• Electrical safety warnings in the language of the sale country

Clothing and textiles

Clothing is subject to GPSR and the Textile Products Regulation (EU No 1007/2011), which requires textile products to carry fibre composition labels.

For clothing sellers on EU markets, GPSR adds the following online listing requirements:

• Manufacturer or importer identity. For clothing, the "manufacturer" in GPSR terms is typically the brand owner (if EU-based) or the EU importer (if the brand owner is non-EU). Their name and address must appear on product pages.
• Care and composition information. While this is technically a Textile Regulation requirement rather than GPSR, enforcement authorities treat missing care/composition information as part of the broader product information inspection.
• Children's clothing safety. Items designed for children must comply with the same age-categorisation and warning requirements as toys for products that pose similar hazards (drawstrings, small decorative elements, etc.).
• Chemical restrictions. Clothing must comply with REACH regulations restricting hazardous chemicals. For children's clothing, compliance certificates from third-party labs are increasingly expected by enforcement authorities.

Common compliance gaps across all categories

Regardless of product category, the most consistently missing elements found in EU enforcement inspections are:

1. Missing or incomplete manufacturer address (brand name without a legal entity name and street address)
2. No product identifier on the product listing (only on packaging)
3. Safety warnings in English only for multi-country EU sellers
4. Missing EU Responsible Person for non-EU manufactured goods
5. No visible withdrawal right information before checkout completion

Use EuroGPSR to scan your store and identify which of these gaps exist across your product pages — categorised by check type and linked to specific fix guides for your ecommerce platform.