What is an EU Authorized Representative (EU AR)?

An EU Authorised Representative (EU AR) is an EU-established entity that may act on behalf of a non-EU manufacturer under a written mandate. Whether an EU-based responsible economic operator is required depends on the product, applicable EU legislation and supply chain; an importer or manufacturer may fulfil that role in some cases.

Do Amazon sellers need an EU Authorized Representative?

Not automatically. Whether an Amazon seller needs an EU-based responsible economic operator depends on the product, applicable EU legislation and supply chain. Amazon marketplace policies may request information or documents, but they do not replace EU legal obligations; product-specific assessment is required.

What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record containing information about a product's materials, components, repairability, sustainability data, and certifications. Under EU Regulation 2024/1781 (ESPR — Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation), DPPs will be mandatory for batteries from February 2027, and for textiles, electronics, and other categories in subsequent years.

What is GPSR and when did it come into effect?

GPSR stands for General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988). It replaced the older General Product Safety Directive and came into full effect on December 13, 2024. It applies to all physical consumer products sold in the EU, including products sold through online marketplaces by non-EU sellers.

When is the battery passport mandatory in the EU?

Battery passports become mandatory in the EU from February 18, 2027, under EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542. All industrial batteries, EV batteries, and LMT batteries above 2 kWh placed on the EU market must have a Digital Product Passport (DPP) accessible via a QR code.

Do Etsy sellers need an EU Authorized Representative?

The applicable EU requirement depends on the product, applicable legislation, supply-chain role and available evidence. GPSR may be relevant for covered consumer products. A responsible economic operator may be required in some cases, while an EU-established manufacturer or importer may fulfil the applicable role. Etsy marketplace requests do not replace product-specific EU legal assessment.

What is the difference between a GPSR Responsible Person and an EU Authorized Representative?

A GPSR Responsible Person under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 and an EU Authorised Representative are distinct legal concepts. Under GPSR, the applicable role is the Responsible Person. Some marketplaces may use different terminology in their interfaces, but this does not make the legal roles equivalent.

Amazon Listing Deactivated for EU Customers Only — GPSR Explanation and Fix

A common source of confusion for non-EU sellers is discovering that their Amazon listings are still active and selling normally in the United States, United Kingdom, or other markets — but have been deactivated specifically for EU customers. This is not a random error. It is a deliberate GPSR enforcement action by Amazon.

Why Amazon Deactivates Listings Only for EU Customers

The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) applies only to products sold within the European Union. Amazon enforcement is therefore geographically targeted: if your product lacks the required GPSR compliance information (specifically a valid EU Responsible Person), Amazon will deactivate the listing for EU customers while leaving it active for non-EU customers.

This means your listing on Amazon.com (US) remains fully active, while your listing on Amazon.de (Germany), Amazon.fr (France), Amazon.it (Italy), Amazon.es (Spain), and other EU marketplaces is deactivated or restricted. Buyers in EU countries cannot find, view, or purchase the product.

How to Identify EU-Specific Deactivations

In Amazon Seller Central, EU-specific deactivations appear in:

Account Health → Regulatory Compliance → GPSR

The affected ASINs will show a violation status. You can also check individual listings by going to Manage Inventory and filtering by marketplace — listings deactivated for EU marketplaces will show a different status than those active in the US.

The Fix: Submit GPSR Compliance Information

The solution is straightforward: submit the required GPSR compliance information for the affected ASINs. Specifically, you need to provide:

Manufacturer contact details — name, address, and email of the product manufacturer
EU Responsible Person contact details — name, EU address, and email of your EU-based Responsible Person
Safety warnings — product-specific safety text for your category

Once Amazon validates this information (typically within 24–48 hours), the listings will be reactivated for EU customers automatically. You do not need to relist the products.

Do You Need a Separate Responsible Person for Each EU Country?

No. One EU Responsible Person covers all EU member states. You do not need a separate representative for Germany, France, Italy, and so on. A single EU-based Responsible Person — located in any EU member state — satisfies the GPSR requirement for all 27 EU countries simultaneously.

This is one of the most common misconceptions among non-EU sellers. One representative, one service agreement, one set of contact details — and your products are compliant across the entire EU.

What About Products Already Sold Before the Deactivation?

GPSR compliance requirements apply to products currently offered for sale. Products that were sold before the December 13, 2024 enforcement date are not retroactively affected. However, if you continue to sell those products after the deadline without a Responsible Person, you are in violation of GPSR regardless of when the product was first listed.

Preventing Future EU Deactivations

Once you have resolved the current deactivations, set up a default Responsible Person profile in Seller Central. This profile can be applied automatically to new ASINs, ensuring that future listings are compliant from the moment they go live.

Need an EU Responsible Person to reactivate your EU listings? AuraDPP provides same-day EU AR setup for non-EU sellers on Amazon.

Related: Selling on eBay and need EU compliance? AuraDPP's EU compliance service for eBay sellers provides GPSR Responsible Person designation and Digital Product Passport QR codes for all EU eBay marketplaces.