Kevin Charlton is part of EUify, an EU trade and management consultancy based in The Hague in the Netherlands and one of We Are Makers’ sponsors. Focusing on a wide range of business and fiscal solutions they aim to get your business trading successfully in the EU again, opening markets, sales channels and boosting your profits within the world’s largest single market.

“Important update: I’m no longer shipping to the EU (and Northern Ireland).” Whenever I see this, my heart sinks. Nine months after the introduction of General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), it’s soul-destroying to see the ongoing effect of this on sales for makers, artists and craftspeople.

When GPSR first came into force in December 2024, it seemed everyone panicked. Rumours of huge fines and massive amounts of bureaucracy meant many makers decided they’d had enough and gave up selling into the EU altogether. And, after Brexit, who can blame them? Worse, because GPSR applies to all non-food products being placed on the EU market, it meant that makers would also have to follow them to sell into Northern Ireland.

A year of lost sales in such a huge market is a massive blow and the all-important Christmas season will soon be with us. Most makers had completed last year’s Christmas sales before the regulation became law. This year it could really hurt.

It’s time to look again. In spite of all the rumours and misinformation circulating when GPSR first came into effect, there is a way forward for makers, and it’s not necessarily the nightmare it was made out to be. With US tariffs constantly changing, selling to the EU and Northern Ireland could become even more important – it’s easier than you think.

The good news is that, for the majority of makers, with our guidance, getting GPSR compliant takes less than a week to complete. Most of what needs to be updated is product labelling and performing simple risk analysis on all the products you sell.

My guess is you do this anyway. After all, no one wants to sell unsafe products. To get compliant, you simply need to document this process. We’ll also help you build a robust product recall procedure for if your customers have issues, just in case.

While you’re responsible as the supplier for making sure the products you supply are safe to consumers, the biggest issue, it seems for businesses based outside of the EU, is that you need to appoint an EU representative who acts as a gatekeeper. This person becomes the first line of enquiry for your customers in the unlikely event there is an issue with a product.

We’ve found that in most cases for makers, artists and craftspeople, the cost of that representative is about €30 a month. Worth it, I think, to open up EU and Northern Ireland markets again and to keep marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy off your back. Plus, by being GPSR compliant, you’re also telling your customers you’re a responsible supplier.

There’s one more advantage to getting compliant now: There are rumours that in the next Brexit deal review, scheduled for 2026, the UK could align its current product safety regulations with the EU’s GPSR. Getting GPSR compliant will put you ahead of the curve. What are you waiting for?

At We Are Makers, we have personally used Euifys service; we wouldn't recommend them if we hadn’t. Over the past year, we have built a relationship with Daran, Kevin, and the small family team and can say with certainty, they are your best bet for all things IOSS, and GPSR as a craft-based business.