One of the most confusing parts of GPSR for online sellers is the EU Responsible Person requirement. Who needs one? What do they do? And how do you actually set this up for your WooCommerce store?
What Is an EU Responsible Person?
Under GPSR, every product sold to EU consumers must have a “responsible economic operator” established within the EU. This person or company is the point of contact for market surveillance authorities and is responsible for ensuring the product meets EU safety requirements.
If the manufacturer is already based in the EU, they automatically fulfill this role. The EU Responsible Person requirement only kicks in when the manufacturer is located outside the EU.
When Do You Need One?
You need an EU Responsible Person if:
- Your manufacturer is based outside the EU (China, USA, UK, etc.)
- There is no EU-based importer in the supply chain
- You are a non-EU seller shipping directly to EU consumers
You do not need a separate EU Responsible Person if:
- The manufacturer is based in an EU member state
- An EU-based importer already handles the product
- You only sell to customers outside the EU
How to Find an EU Responsible Person
There are several options:
- Your EU office – if your company has a branch in the EU, it can serve as the responsible person
- Your distributor or importer – if you work with an EU-based distributor, they may agree to take on this role
- Third-party compliance services – companies like Compliance Gate, GPSR.eu, or similar services offer EU Responsible Person services for a monthly fee (typically 50-200 per month depending on product count)
- The manufacturer – some manufacturers have EU subsidiaries that can serve this role
What Data to Display
On your product pages, you need to show:
- EU Responsible Person company name
- Full postal address within the EU
- Email address
This data must be visible to consumers before purchase. The GPSR Compliance for WooCommerce plugin displays this information automatically in a dedicated product tab, alongside the manufacturer data.
Setting It Up in WooCommerce
In our GPSR Compliance plugin, EU Responsible Person data is stored as part of the manufacturer record. When you create a manufacturer and mark it as non-EU, the EU Representative fields appear. Fill in the name, address, and email of your EU representative, and this data will automatically display on all products assigned to that manufacturer.
If you work with different EU representatives for different manufacturers, each manufacturer record can have its own EU rep. The plugin handles all the display logic automatically.
Related Articles
- How to Set Up Manufacturer Data for GPSR in WooCommerce
- Selling to the EU from Your WooCommerce Store: Compliance Basics
- GPSR Compliance Checklist for WooCommerce Store Owners
