Product safety and liability
Obligations for selling products safely in the EU and liability for defective products.
Product rules and compliance
Placing products on the EU market, the right way
Before a product can be sold in the EU, it must meet EU requirements on safety, health and the environment. We help manufacturers, importers and distributors find out which rules apply, prepare the documentation and keep their products compliant.
The compliance path
Six steps from design to CE marking
For products covered by harmonised EU legislation, the route to the market usually follows these steps.
- 1Identify requirementsFind out which EU rules apply to your product.
- 2Apply standardsUse harmonised European standards to show conformity.
- 3Assess conformityCheck the product, alone or with a notified body.
- 4Technical filePrepare the technical documentation.
- 5DeclarationSign the EU Declaration of Conformity.
- 6CE markingAffix the CE mark where required.
Products not covered by harmonised rules can benefit from mutual recognition: a product lawfully sold in one Member State may, in principle, also be sold in others, supported by a declaration of mutual recognition.
Areas covered
Sector rules we work with
Chemicals and hazardous substances
Registration of chemical substances and their classification, labelling and packaging.
Energy-related products
Ecodesign requirements and energy labelling. See also our EU Energy page.
Recycling and waste
Producer obligations for electrical and electronic equipment and rules on single-use plastics.
Food
Labelling, nutrition declarations, food supplements, additives and health and nutrition claims.
Textiles and footwear
Fibre composition labels for textiles and material labels for footwear.
How we help
Compliance you can document
EU product rules are applied and enforced nationally. We help you meet them consistently in every Member State where you sell.
- 01Mapping the rulesWhich EU and national requirements apply to your product and your role as manufacturer, importer or distributor.
- 02Documentation reviewTechnical files, declarations of conformity and labelling checked against the applicable rules.
- 03Contracts and liabilitySupplier and distribution agreements that allocate compliance duties and liability clearly.
- 04TranslationsLabels, instructions and declarations in the required languages, through our legal translation service.
Useful resources
Official guidance from Your Europe
The EU’s Your Europe portal explains product rules for businesses.
General compliance
Safety, chemicals and energy
Contact
Launching a product in the EU?
Tell us what the product is and where you plan to sell it. We will map the rules that apply.