European Union
No product from outside the Union reaches an EU consumer legally without an economic operator established inside it. This page explains what that means on the printed label, and what the operator does after the label is printed.
An importer established in the EU, an authorised representative with a written mandate, a fulfilment service provider, or the manufacturer if it has an EU establishment. The choice is yours, but the person named must actually exist at that address and be able to respond to an authority.
The same operator must appear for all the goods it covers. Naming one operator on the packaging and another in the marketplace listing is a contradiction that is automatically flagged.
Name and postal address of the responsible person, on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document. Including an email address assists the customer but does not replace the postal address.
For CE-marked categories, Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 requires the same identification and expects that operator to hold the declaration of conformity and the technical documentation, or at least to be able to produce them.
Keep the declaration of conformity and the technical file available for ten years for most CE categories. Respond to a reasoned request from an authority in a language accepted by that authority. Inform the authority when a product is dangerous, and cooperate on corrective measures.
This is why the role is a legal mandate and not just a line of text. We produce the artwork containing the details; appointing the operator itself is a separate service, and we state this before purchase rather than after.
A dedicated block, headed in the language of the market, with the operator's registered name and full postal address, kept separate from the manufacturer's block so that an inspector can read both at a glance.
An authorised representative acts under a written mandate that specifies which products are covered and which tasks are delegated. Without it, the address on the label is decorative.
The mandate cannot delegate the manufacturer’s core duties — designing a safe product, conducting the conformity assessment, drawing up the declaration. It delegates keeping documents available, responding to authorities, and cooperating on corrective actions.
Request the mandate before printing. If the operator cannot produce one within a day, they will not be able to respond to an authority within ten days.
A reasoned request typically asks for the declaration of conformity, the technical documentation or a specific test report, in a language accepted by the authority, within a specified deadline often of ten working days.
The operator named on your label receives that request. If they have never seen your file, the deadline passes and the product is presumed non-compliant.
This is the practical reason why the label block and the document folder must be organized together, and why we date every artwork version we produce.
Operators change: a contract ends, an agency closes, a company relocates. Every label already printed names the old address.
The permanent code addresses this issue. The public record is updated, the scan shows the new operator, and the printed label continues to display accurate information until the next print run.
| Operator | Established in | Typical cost | Obligation it carries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own EU subsidiary | EU | Already yours | Full operator duties |
| Your EU importer | EU | Usually free | They become responsible for what they import |
| Authorised representative | EU | €200–€900 per year | Documents, authority contact, corrective action |
| Fulfilment service provider | EU | Per shipment | Limited, and rarely accepted for this purpose |
The same information, in the order an inspector or reviewer encounters it.
Only if they accept the role in writing and are established in the EU. Most forwarders decline, because the role involves obligations after delivery.
Northern Ireland follows EU product rules, so the EU responsible person applies there; Great Britain requires its own.
The record is updated and we reissue the artwork free of charge. Labels already printed continue to be valid through the permanent code.
Yes, with a separate mandate for each, and each product must name the operator on its own label.
Not legally. A postal address is required; contact details help consumers and cost nothing to add.
They are liable for their own tasks. Product liability remains with the manufacturer and, in some cases, the importer.
Print-ready artwork for the markets you sell in, a permanent code with a public record, and a free reissue whenever your details change. Seven days free, no credit card required.
EU Label Compliance