Legal Representative Required in Europe Before Marketing Products There

Effective July 16th, 2021, the Market Surveillance Regulation adopted by the European Commission requires that every business from outside the EU selling products directly or indirectly (through ecommerce platforms) must have either an importer or an authorized representative located in the EU.

The authorized representative will act as a liaison between the manufacturer and a national authority within the EU. The address of this importer or authorized representative must be clearly visible on the product or packaging (or in accompanying documentation, such as the user manual). The purpose of the requirement is to minimize the risk of unsafe products entering the market.

If you don’t have an authorized representative or importer in place by July 16, 2021, customs may not allow your products to enter the EU, or marketplaces such as Amazon won’t allow you to sell your products in the European market. (For more information on Amazon seller requirements, refer to our Amazon compliance tab.)

If you are a non-EU business selling products on the European market when the new Market Surveillance Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 comes into force, stay tuned for our next blog that will cover:
– How to ensure that you can continue selling your products on the European market
– How to determine if the new regulation applies to your products
– What you should do to sell your product in Europe directly, online, or via a fulfillment service provider confidently
– What the effects are for non-UK companies currently selling in the UK market, and the upcoming UKCA authorized representative requirements
– What the rules are for UK businesses selling in the Northern-Irish market

For more information about this blog or other global regulations, please contact Testing Partners at (862) 243-2677 or email customerservice@testingpartners.com.