All insightsRepresenta GmbH
Why non-EU manufacturers need an Authorized Representative
What the Authorized Representative does, what goes wrong without one, and how to tell a passive provider from an active one.
Selling in the EU requires more than shipping goods. The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, in force since 13 December 2024, and the market surveillance rules for CE-marked products both expect a legal contact inside the EU. For a manufacturer outside the EU that contact is the Authorized Representative.
What the Authorized Representative does
The Authorized Representative is a company established in the EU that acts on the manufacturer's behalf by written mandate. It keeps the technical documentation available, is named on the product and the Declaration of Conformity, communicates with market surveillance authorities and coordinates corrective actions and recalls with the manufacturer.
What happens without one
- Goods are held at customs because the required EU contact is missing.
- Authorities can impose fines, order corrective actions or ban sales.
- Marketplaces delist products that cannot show an EU Responsible Person.
- Distributors lose trust in a supplier that cannot present a compliant label.
Passive or active representative
A low-cost provider that only lends an address leaves the manufacturer alone when an authority asks questions. An active representative validates the technical file at onboarding, monitors the directives that apply to the product range and answers authorities within their deadlines. The difference shows the first time a market surveillance authority writes.
How Representa handles it
- Verification of the technical file and Declaration of Conformity at onboarding and annually.
- A single contact for audits, safety concerns and regulatory inquiries.
- Review of labels and instructions so that consumers and authorities find what they need.