What GPSR is
The General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, has applied since 13 December 2024. It replaced the earlier General Product Safety Directive and applies directly in every EU member state. It covers consumer products that are not governed by more specific EU safety legislation, or that are only partly covered by it. Consumer camping tents, beach shelters, pop-up canopies and play tents sold to the public in the EU are in its scope; play tents also meet the toy rules, which sit alongside it.
The core duty is simple: only safe products may be placed on the EU market. The regulation then sets out who is responsible, what information must travel with the product, what online sellers must display and how accidents and recalls are handled.
The responsible economic operator
A product covered by GPSR may only be placed on the EU market if there is an economic operator established in the EU responsible for it. Depending on the supply chain, that can be the manufacturer if it is based in the EU, an importer, an authorised representative or a fulfilment service provider. For a brand buying tents from partner factories in China, the importer or a named EU representative usually plays this role.
The responsible person is expected to keep product safety documents available, cooperate with market surveillance authorities and act on safety issues. A factory outside the EU cannot fill this role, and neither can a sourcing desk such as ours; we prepare documents that the responsible person keeps.
What goes on the product
| Item | What it means for a tent | Where to put it |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer name and postal address | The brand that places its name on the tent is treated as the manufacturer | Sewn-in label; packaging if the label is too small |
| Electronic contact | Email or website for safety contact | Label or packaging |
| EU responsible person | Name, address and contact of the EU-based operator | Label, packaging or accompanying document |
| Product identifier | Model, type, batch or serial number | Sewn-in label and carton |
| Warnings and safety information | Anchoring, heat sources, ventilation, child warnings where relevant | Instructions and label, in the language of the country of sale |
For private label orders this has a direct effect on artwork. The brand name and address on the label make the brand the manufacturer in the eyes of the regulation, even if a partner factory made the tent. Batch numbers must be real and traceable, so the factory's production records have to match what is printed. Approve label and packaging artwork with this in mind before bulk.
Tents raise a practical point here: labels have limited space and several parts. Put the full identification on the main sewn-in label of the tent body, repeat the model and batch on the retail bag or box and on the shipping carton, and keep the responsible person's details on the packaging or instruction leaflet if the label cannot hold them. Spare parts sold separately, such as replacement poles or fly sheets, need their own identification so they can be traced to the tent they belong to.
What goes on the listing
GPSR extends the information duty to distance sales. An online offer for a tent should show the manufacturer's name, postal and electronic address, the EU responsible person's details where the manufacturer is outside the EU, information that identifies the product, including a picture, and any warnings or safety information. Online marketplaces have their own direct obligations under the regulation, including cooperation with authorities and checks on the information traders provide. In practice marketplaces now ask sellers for the responsible person and product data before a listing goes live. Our note on tent listings for marketplaces covers the wider listing set.
The safety file behind the label
A product is assessed for safety by looking at its characteristics, its instructions, its effect on other products, its presentation and the categories of users, including children. For a tent, that assessment usually draws on several documents:
- Performance. EN ISO 5912:2020 for camping tents, where the buyer chooses to test to it. See EN ISO 5912 for camping tents.
- Large structures. EN 13782 for temporary tents over 50 m2, which usually sit outside consumer sales.
- Chemicals. REACH restrictions apply alongside GPSR. The EU PFHxA restriction applies to textiles for the public other than clothing from 10 October 2027; see PFAS rules and tent fabrics.
- Instructions and warnings. Pitch sequence, anchoring with stakes and guy lines, ventilation, keeping heat sources away, and taking canopies down in strong wind.
- Traceability. Batch records linking the label to the production run and the inspection report.
Accidents and recalls
GPSR also sets out what happens when something goes wrong. Manufacturers and responsible persons must act when they learn a product is unsafe, notify authorities of accidents through the EU portal where required, and organise recalls that reach consumers. For tent ranges the practical lesson is to keep batch data clean and customer contact channels working, so a fault in one production run of poles or zips can be traced to the cartons it shipped in rather than to the whole range.
Where the desk fits
The desk does not act as the EU responsible person and does not hold test reports. What we do is prepare the supplier side of the GPSR file for each order:
- Collect test reports issued to partner factories or brands per order and check they match the bill of materials.
- Lay out sewn-in label and packaging artwork with space for manufacturer, responsible person and batch data.
- Draft instructions and warnings in English for translation into each sales language.
- Tie batch numbers to production records and the pre-shipment inspection report.
- Hand the document set to the brand and its EU responsible person with the shipment.
See compliance and certifications and OEM and private label for the wider document set, and MOQ and lead time for timing. Send your EU markets and label plan through the quote form. This note is a summary, not legal advice; confirm obligations with your compliance adviser or customs broker.