GPSR guidelines of the Commission: what they are and how to use them

What the guidelines are

Guidelines explain how the Commission understands the Regulation. They create no new law. Courts and authorities are not bound by them. They are still a practical point of reference, because they show the Commission’s interpretation.

What they contain, as far as we have verified

Our fact base confirms this content:

• Publication in the Official Journal on 21 November 2025 (C/2025/6233)
• A template for the technical documentation (Article 9 GPSR)
• Checklists, separate for each role in the supply chain

What we do not claim

We do not summarise further details here, for example on edge cases such as second-hand goods or old stock, as long as we have not checked them against the original text. A wrong summary does more harm than a missing one.

How to use the guidelines

Take the checklist for your role as your test list and the template as the frame for your documentation.

• Determine your role: manufacturer, importer, distributor or another operator.
• Go through the checklist for that role product by product.
• Set up the technical documentation along the template.
• Keep the technical documentation, with the risk analysis it contains. Article 9(3) GPSR names 10 years after the product has been placed on the market.
• Note when you checked and who did it.

Frequently asked questions