What happened to sellers using the Amazon Responsible Person service after it ended in 2024?
After Amazon ended its optional Responsible Person service in 2024, sellers who relied on it still had the same EU legal obligation to have an EU-based responsible person for in-scope consumer products. In practice, many sellers had to appoint an external economic operator and then update Amazon compliance fields and product-labeling evidence to avoid listing blocks. The key questions are why the program ended, what to do next, and how the roles differ under EU rules.
Why did Amazon end its Responsible Person service in 2024?
Amazon ended an optional compliance support offering that helped some sellers designate a responsible person through Amazon. Marketplaces can change, pause, or discontinue optional programs over time, and sellers should not treat any platform program as a permanent compliance solution. EU product safety obligations remain with the economic operator placing products on the EU market, regardless of where the product is sold.
For sellers, the practical impact is simple: if you sell in-scope consumer products into the EU and you are not established in the EU, you still need an EU-based responsible person under the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR). Amazon may still request proof in Seller Central, such as responsible person details and label or packaging images that match those details.
What should sellers do after losing Amazon’s Responsible Person option?
Sellers should replace the discontinued option by appointing an EU-based responsible person (an economic operator) and then aligning their documentation, labeling, and marketplace data so that everything matches. The fastest path is a checklist approach that focuses on scope, appointment, traceability, and upload-ready evidence for marketplace reviews.
- Confirm scope: Identify whether each item is a consumer product or is likely to be used by consumers under reasonably foreseeable conditions, and whether any product-specific EU rules also apply.
- Confirm the need for an EU-based responsible person: Under the GPSR, in-scope products need an EU-based economic operator fulfilling the responsible person function when the manufacturer is not established in the EU.
- Gather safety and traceability information: Ensure you can identify the product (model, batch, or serial number), the manufacturer, and provide contact details, plus any required warnings and instructions for the EU countries you target.
- Update listings and physical labeling: Make sure the responsible person details shown in Amazon compliance fields match what appears on the product or packaging images you submit. Digital listing fields do not replace physical labeling.
- Keep technical documentation accessible: Maintain a complete set of technical documentation that demonstrates product safety under the GPSR, and keep it ready to share with authorities upon request.
- Monitor marketplace compliance requests: Watch for document review requests triggered by complaints, mismatched identifiers, or category flags, and respond with consistent, matching evidence.
What is the difference between an EU Responsible Person and an Authorized Representative?
An EU responsible person is an EU-based economic operator that performs specific cooperation and documentation tasks required by EU product safety law for many consumer products, including under the GPSR. An Authorized Representative is a separate concept used mainly under certain harmonized EU product legislation, where a manufacturer can mandate an EU-established entity to carry out defined tasks on the manufacturer’s behalf. An Authorized Representative is not mandatory in general.
| Role | What it is | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible person | EU-established economic operator ensuring key compliance cooperation and documentation availability | GPSR and the Market Surveillance Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (MSR) framework for many non-food products |
| Authorized Representative | EU-established entity with a written mandate from the manufacturer for defined regulatory tasks | Typically under specific CE-marking and other harmonized legislation, depending on product type |
Also, keep these roles separate from importer and distributor obligations. An EU importer, distributor, or fulfilment service provider can have its own legal duties, and marketplaces sometimes use these terms inconsistently in compliance workflows. Under MSR Article 4, the responsible person must, when it identifies a risk, inform the manufacturer and cooperate with authorities as required by law.
How does EARP help with EU Responsible Person compliance after Amazon’s service ended?
We help non-EU manufacturers and sellers stay compliant after Amazon’s program ended by providing an independent, EU-based responsible person service aligned with GPSR and MSR expectations, and by supporting marketplace-ready documentation consistency.
- Acting as your EU-based responsible person (economic operator) for in-scope consumer products
- Structured checks for traceability elements, including manufacturer identifiers, model and batch or serial references, and responsible person contact details
- Technical documentation storage and controlled availability to market surveillance authorities upon request
- Practical guidance for aligning product labels, packaging images, and marketplace compliance submissions to reduce rejections caused by mismatched identifiers
- Clear service scope and onboarding through our services page, with a direct path to get started via our contact page
If you lost Amazon’s Responsible Person option and need an EU-based responsible person to keep selling in the EU, reach out through our contact page to confirm scope and next steps.
Related Articles
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- Do I need a European Authorized Representative to sell in Europe?
- How much does European Authorized Representative service cost in 2025?
- What is the difference between EU Authorized Representative and Responsible Person?
- How to become GPSR compliant for EU market entry?
