VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Business: EU Countries

Asked by Martin WrigleyLiberal DemocratDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 11 March 2025UIN 35026

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the cost to UK businesses of having agents in individual EU member states.

Answered by Justin Madders

The European Commission is responsible for interpreting EU legislation and has published business guidance and an impact assessment of the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). We recommend businesses refer to this guidance for advice on the requirement for an EU based ‘agent’, referred to as a Responsible Economic Operator or responsible person, by the European Commission.

DBT have published guidance on the application of GPSR in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review. We continue to engage businesses directly to assess the regulation’s impact and ensure they are supported to trade across the UK and with the EU.

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