EU Responsible Person: what it is and what it costs
An EU Responsible Person is the company established in the EU that is responsible for your product under Article 16 of the General Product Safety Regulation. It is named on the packaging, keeps your documentation available to the authorities and answers them. Public prices run from under €200 to around €500 a year; what matters is what the fee covers.
By Konstantin Filin, Director · Last reviewed: 29 September 2026
Why a seller outside the EU needs one
Since 13 December 2024, Article 16(1) of Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (the GPSR) has said: "A product covered by this Regulation shall not be placed on the market unless there is an economic operator established in the Union who is responsible for the tasks set out in Article 4(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 in respect to that product."
If your company is outside the EU and sells directly to EU consumers — through Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Temu or your own shop — there is usually no importer in the EU to take that role. Someone established in the Union has to, and marketplaces ask for that someone's name and address on every listing.
Under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, that operator can be:
| Who | When it fits |
|---|---|
| The manufacturer | Only if it is itself established in the EU |
| An importer | When a company in the EU buys and imports your goods |
| An authorised representative | When you appoint an EU company by written mandate — this is what "EU Responsible Person" services are |
| A fulfilment service provider | Only when none of the above is established in the EU |
What the Responsible Person must do
The tasks come from two places: Article 4(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Article 16(2) GPSR.
- Keep the EU declaration of conformity (where your product has one) and the technical documentation available to market surveillance authorities.
- Provide authorities with the information and documentation they request, in a language they understand.
- Inform the authorities when it has reason to believe the product presents a risk.
- Cooperate with the authorities on any action to remove or reduce that risk.
- Regularly verify that the product matches its technical documentation and carries the required identification and safety information (Article 16(2) GPSR, which refers to Article 9(5)–(7)).
Article 16(3) adds the part everyone sees: the Responsible Person's name and contact details, "including the postal and electronic address", must be on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document.
This is why an address alone is not the service. The obligation is to answer an authority with your documents, sometimes years after the sale.
What drives the price
| Factor | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|
| Number of product families | Each family needs its own documents checked and kept. Counting by family, by SKU or by brand makes a large difference for the same catalogue |
| Product risk | Electrical products, products with batteries and products for children need more evidence and more checking |
| Document review | A provider that reads your test reports and labels does work before signing; one that does not is cheaper and riskier for you |
| Authority requests | Some fees include answering authorities; others charge per request or per hour |
| First year versus renewal | The first year usually includes onboarding; renewals are usually cheaper |
Public prices we have seen in 2026 run from under €200 to around €500 a year, and some providers charge a one-time fee instead of a yearly one. A very low price can mean one of three things: an address without document review, authority requests billed separately, or a count by brand that hides extra fees for more products.
Six questions to ask before you appoint one
- Is it a real company, and can you check it? Look it up in the national company register of the country it names.
- Does the fee include answering authorities and marketplaces? Ask for this in writing, and ask whether it is limited in hours.
- What exactly is counted? Per product family, per SKU or per brand — and what does one more product cost?
- Will they check your documents before signing? Article 16(2) requires regular verification. A provider that signs without reading your test reports is not doing that.
- What happens when the appointment ends? Will they tell the marketplaces, and will they hand over your documentation to you or to your next representative?
- Who signs, and who answers a letter from an authority? A named person, or a ticket queue?
Be careful with anything called a "GPSR certificate". No such official certificate exists. A document from your Responsible Person shows that you appointed them; it does not certify that your product is safe.
What Altex charges
Prices per year, excluding VAT, paid by bank transfer in euro:
| Plan | First year | Each year after | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | €290 | €190 | 1 product family |
| Starter | €690 | €390 | 1 to 5 product families |
| Standard | €1,190 | €790 | Up to 15 product families |
| Extended | €1,990 | €1,490 | Up to 40 product families |
Every plan includes our answers to authorities, customs and marketplaces about your covered products, with no limit on the time we spend. We count product families, not SKUs. If we refuse a product before the appointment is issued, you pay nothing. Full details are in our pricing.
What Altex does, and what it does not
- We do: act as your EU Responsible Person from Ljubljana, review your documents before we sign, keep them for ten years, answer authorities and marketplaces, and tell the marketplaces if the appointment ends.
- We do not: test, certify or approve products; import, store or ship goods; provide packaging EPR representation or VAT registration.
FAQ
Is the EU Responsible Person the same as an importer?
No. An importer buys and imports the goods and has its own obligations. An authorised representative acts for you under a written mandate and does not own or handle the goods. Either can be the Article 16 operator.
Do I need one Responsible Person per EU country?
No. One economic operator established in the EU covers all 27 member states.
Is the marketplace my Responsible Person?
No. Online marketplaces have their own, separate obligations under Article 22 GPSR. They ask you to name your Responsible Person; they do not take that role.
Does a UK company need one to sell in the EU?
Yes. Since the UK left the EU, a company established only in Great Britain is outside the Union for this purpose.
Can I change my Responsible Person later?
Yes, but every label, packaging print and listing that names the old one has to change too. That is why a stable address matters more than a low first-year price.