What the GPSR is
The General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, applies to consumer products placed on the EU market. It replaced the earlier directive and applies from 13 December 2024. It covers fishing tackle when the product is meant for consumers, which includes almost every item in a tackle shop. Specific EU rules, such as those for electronics, apply in addition.
This is a practical summary, not legal advice. Check the regulation itself and seek advice for complex products.
The economic operator
Every product needs an EU economic operator, a company in the EU responsible for its safety. It can be the manufacturer, if established in the EU, the importer, an authorised representative or a fulfilment service provider. When we import tackle, we act as the importer and take on the duties of that role. If you import yourself, you become the importer, and your name and address go on the product.
What must be on the product or packaging
- The name, registered trade name or trademark of the manufacturer, with a postal address and an e-mail address.
- The name, postal address and e-mail address of the importer or other EU operator, if the manufacturer is outside the EU.
- A type, batch or serial number, or another element that identifies the product.
- Warnings and safety information, in the language of the country of sale.
- Instructions for use where the product needs them.
If the product is too small to carry the data, put it on the packaging or in a document that comes with it. For hooks and small lures, the pack or a leaflet usually does the job.
Which tackle needs warnings
Warnings depend on the product and its risks. Think about:
- Hooks and sharp tools: sharp points, keep out of reach of children, handle with care.
- Carbon rods: carbon conducts electricity, so keep away from overhead power lines.
- Small parts: choking hazard for children under three where the product could be used by them.
- Chairs and bedchairs: load limit and stable ground.
- Heaters, lights and alarms: battery and heat warnings.
- Soft lures: not to be put in the mouth, where relevant.
Which warnings apply is for the manufacturer and the operator to decide. We pass on the factory’s information and suggest wording, but you remain responsible for the final text in your market.
Language
Warnings and safety information must be in a language the consumer can easily understand, which in practice means the official language of the country of sale. A shop selling in Germany, Poland and France needs German, Polish and French versions. Multilingual labels are one of our private label services, so one pack can carry several languages. See our private label page.
What must be online
The same information applies to online listings. When you sell on your own shop, Amazon, Allegro or eBay, the listing should show the manufacturer and EU operator details, an image of the product or label, and warnings and safety information. Keep a file of the data for each product, since marketplaces ask for it.
| Where | What to show |
|---|---|
| Product or pack | Name, address, e-mail, batch or type, warnings |
| Online listing | The same data, plus an image |
| Technical file | Risk analysis, tests, documents |
Technical documentation
Operators must keep documents that show the product is safe, including a risk analysis. For simple items, this can be short. For electronics, boats and anything with a battery, it is longer. Keep the documents for ten years. We keep copies of what we receive from factories and tell you which documents exist for each product.
Other rules that sit alongside
- REACH: limits on certain substances in PVC, rubber and coatings, and the planned restriction on lead in weights and lures.
- CE marking: bite alarms, headlamps and lights fall under EMC and RoHS, and radio equipment under RED.
- Batteries Regulation 2023/1542: information and, from 2027, removable-battery rules for portable batteries.
- Packaging: producer responsibility registration, such as LUCID in Germany, BDO in Poland and Triman marking in France.
Inflatable fishing boats fall under the Recreational Craft Directive and need the manufacturer’s documentation. Life jackets and buoyancy aids are personal protective equipment and are not in our range.
Accidents and recalls
The GPSR also asks operators to react when a product turns out to be unsafe. You must be able to trace the batch, inform customers and authorities, and withdraw the product when needed. Batch numbers on the pack and a record of who bought which batch make this possible. Marketplaces and authorities use the Safety Gate and Safety Business Gateway for notifications, so assign one person in your business to follow them.
Common mistakes with tackle
- Printing only a brand logo and no address. A brand name is not enough for the economic operator.
- Using the factory’s address and no EU operator. The product then lacks an EU contact.
- Putting warnings only in English on a pack sold in several countries.
- Forgetting the batch or type number on small items such as hooks and swivels.
- Leaving the listing without the same data that is on the pack.
- Printing artwork before the wording is approved, which means expensive reprints.
Small items and multipacks
Terminal tackle comes in small packs of hooks, swivels, beads and clips. The label can sit on the outer bag or on a header card, and the inner bags may carry only a batch code. For multipacks and kits, the outer packaging carries the data for the whole set, while products that are also sold separately need their own data. Decide this when you design the pack, because changing it later costs more than getting it right at the start. See the terminal tackle category for the pack formats we offer.
How we help
We act as importer, label products with the required data, check documents when the goods arrive and keep records. Private label orders include your brand name and the GPSR block on the packaging. The quality page lists what we check, and the legal page sets out our details.
A label checklist
- Product name and type or batch number.
- Manufacturer name and address.
- EU operator name, address and e-mail.
- Warnings in each target language.
- Material or content information where relevant.
- Barcode and recycling marks.
Plan this early. Label wording must be settled before artwork is printed. Send us your product list and the countries you sell in, and we propose the label set with the offer (2 working days).
