Retailers who import consumer electronics directly — rather than buying from a local distributor — often become the “producer” or “importer” in the eyes of the law. That brings obligations that must be in place before goods are sold.
1. Conformity: CE and UKCA
Electronics placed on the EU market must carry CE marking under the directives that apply (typically EMC, Low Voltage, RED for radio equipment, and RoHS). The importer must check that the manufacturer has a declaration of conformity and technical documentation, and that the product carries the manufacturer’s and importer’s contact details. For Great Britain the equivalent marking is UKCA, with CE still accepted in many cases.
2. WEEE and producer registration
Under WEEE rules, whoever first places electrical equipment on a national market must usually register as a producer in that country, join or finance a take-back scheme and report volumes. Registration is country by country — selling into five EU markets can mean five registrations or an authorised representative in each.
3. Packaging and battery EPR
Extended producer responsibility also applies to packaging and, under the EU Battery Regulation, to batteries — including those built into devices. Fees are typically based on weight and material reported to the scheme.
4. General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)
Since December 2024 the GPSR requires a responsible economic operator in the EU for most consumer products, traceability information on the product, and specific safety information in online listings.
Checklist before the first shipment: declaration of conformity on file, correct markings and labels, WEEE / packaging / battery registrations in each target country, GPSR responsible person identified, and listing content updated.
Our market and jurisdiction analysis maps these requirements per product and country, and our business support team coordinates the registrations with compliance schemes.
Need help with this? Talk to our team.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.