Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of aligning UK General Product Safety Regulations with those in the EU to remove the need for an EU Responsible Person when trading with the EU.

Amending the General Product Safety Regulations that apply in Great Britain to align with the EU’s new GPSR would not remove the requirement that exists for a Responsible Economic Operator based within the EU or Northern Ireland when trading with the EU.

The Responsible Economic Operator responsibilities can be fulfilled by the manufacturer, authorised representative appointed by the manufacturer, importer, or where none of these are based in the EU or Northern Ireland, the fulfilment service provider of the product. The Department’s Export Support Service provides help to businesses, including by signposting them to Responsible Economic Operator service providers.