Today we see the EU’s GPSR implemented (General Product Safety Regulation) which will now apply to any new product placed onto the EU market.
Due to the Windsor Framework Agreement, this EU diktat also impacts internal trade in the UK. Northern Ireland (NI) is treated differently to England, Scotland and Wales (GB), and to send goods to NI from today, businesses will need to engage (and pay) for a ‘Responsible Person’ based in the EU or NI.
Social Media is swamped and even the main stream press are all carrying stories today with businesses who claim not to have had any notice and for many small businesses only selling within the UK why would they expect that what EU does impacts their ability to sell domestically?
Our Government also appear to be totally unaware of quite how much GPSR will impact marketplace sellers – both micro businesses and some relatively large SME businesses. In a draft document they recently said:
There are various ways to meet the Regulation, and most UK businesses that sell goods in NI will likely have sufficient arrangements in place as the rules in many cases formalise the reality of how businesses are already operating in the UK in order to be able to sell goods into the EU.
– Updated General Product Safety Regulations in Northern Ireland, Gov.UK
The harsh reality is that most marketplace sellers will likely NOT have sufficient arrangements in place. Even some relatively large marketplace sellers (£20m turnover) that we have spoken to in recent months pulled back from selling to the EU due to burdensome regulations.
The reality is, many many small businesses will now refuse to sell to NI and consumers living their will find themselves excluded from being a full part of the UK.
If by any chance you are looking for ways to be GPSR compliant, Webinterpret announced a solution this week.
2 Responses
It is not an EU ‘diktat’. It is a system of regulations that has been long in gestation. The UK voted 8 years ago to put itself at a disadvantage with respect of exporting into the EU. Considering that the British people and businesses were given detailed, accurate and timely information about the likely commercial and economic impact of brexit – but decided in their own wisdom to ignore it – makes it all the more pathetic to be playing the victim card so blatantly
It is annoying to lose NI sales, but they can be made up for by focusing effort elsewhere, until Sir Keir eventually aligns us with the EU Diktat. In the meantime, as someone running a small business, I’m glad that I don’t have do all that GPSR work. Thank Brexit for that.