What European EN standards apply under GPSR?
European harmonised standards — published by bodies such as CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) and CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation) — are voluntary technical specifications that translate the GPSR's general safety requirement into concrete, measurable criteria for specific product categories. Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 2023/988 establishes a presumption of conformity: if your product complies with a relevant EN standard, EU market surveillance authorities presume it meets the general safety requirement. This does not make EN standards legally mandatory, but it makes them the most straightforward path to demonstrating compliance — and the Commission's Guidelines C(2025) 7699 confirmed that EN standards adopted under the predecessor directive (2001/95/EC) retain their presumption of conformity under the GPSR.
The applicable EN standard depends entirely on the product category. Some widely referenced examples: for toys, the EN 71 series (EN 71-1 mechanical and physical safety, EN 71-2 flammability, EN 71-3 migration of certain elements); for domestic furniture for adults, EN 12520; for children's furniture and highchairs, various EN standards under the puericulture umbrella; for audio and video equipment and ICT equipment, EN 62368-1; for bicycles, EN ISO 4210; for children's clothing drawstrings, EN 14682; for garden furniture, EN 581; for textile products, EN ISO 105 series for colour fastness; for personal protective equipment, EN 13061 and related standards. The technical file must identify all EN standards the manufacturer has applied, even if only partially, and note which aspects of the risk assessment each standard addresses.
Where no EN standard exists for a product — a common situation for novel or niche product categories — Article 9.2 requires the technical file to explain the approach taken to assess safety. In practice, this means the risk assessment must be especially thorough and may reference ISO standards, national standards, or comparative safety data for similar product categories. The absence of an EN standard does not create a compliance exemption; it simply shifts more of the evidential burden onto the risk assessment itself.
What the law says
Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 2023/988: "Products that are in conformity with the European standards whose references have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union shall be presumed to comply with the general safety requirement." Article 9.2 requires the technical file to list all applicable standards used in the conformity assessment.
Consequences of non-compliance
Failing to identify or apply relevant EN standards leaves the technical file incomplete and weakens the conformity presumption. Authorities may require additional evidence of safety, triggering costly testing. Platforms including Amazon may reject documentation that does not reference applicable standards. Fines of up to €100,000 per Member State for non-compliant products.
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