Economic operator

Explained

EU product law uses economic operator as the collective term for those who make a product available on the market. Article 3(13) GPSR lists the manufacturer, the authorised representative, the importer, the distributor, the fulfilment service provider and any other person with obligations relating to the product. A fulfilment service provider offers at least two of warehousing, packaging, addressing and dispatching without owning the goods. Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance describes the roles. The manufacturer carries the main responsibility for design, documentation and labelling. The importer checks that the manufacturer has met its obligations and gives its own address on the product. The distributor checks labelling and accompanying documents. Online marketplaces have their own duties in the GPSR.