GPSR for Book Publishers: A Hands-On Compliance Guide
If you’re a book publisher looking to sell in the EU, you might be surprised to learn that books fall under product safety regulations. The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) applies to consumer products sold in the EU, and the European Commission’s November 2025 guidance confirms that digital products can fall within scope too. Whether that extends to purely digital books isn’t settled yet, so this guide focuses on printed books, where the requirements are clear-cut. That means you need to ensure your books meet safety standards to stay compliant and avoid any legal hiccups.
But don’t worry it’s not as complicated as it sounds. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what you need to do to comply with GPSR as a book publisher, from risk assessments to labelling requirements. Let’s dive in.
Practical Guide to GPSR Compliance for Book Publishers
Understanding Your Responsibilities
At first glance, books might not seem like a safety concern. But under GPSR, any product sold to consumers must be safe—including books, especially those with added elements like toys, pop-ups, or digital content.
Conducting a Risk Analysis for Your Books
Risk analysis is a key part of GPSR compliance. It helps identify potential safety hazards and ensures that your books don’t pose any risks to consumers.
Common Risks for Book Publishers
Choking or injury hazards from small, detachable parts, such as pop-ups, novelty attachments, or board-book pieces
Sharp edges or corners on rigid covers or board books
Non-compliant or toxic inks, coatings, laminates, or dyes, particularly in children’s books
Battery, light, or sound-module hazards in interactive or “noisy” books
Fire risks from added fabric, plush, or textile elements
Suffocation risks from plastic shrink-wrap or packaging
Incorrect age grading that does not reflect the book’s actual hazards, potentially making it unsuitable for young children
How to Conduct a Risk Assessment
- Identify Hazards: Review the physical and digital properties of your books.
- Evaluate Risks: Determine the likelihood and severity of potential hazards.
- Implement Safety Measures: Adjust materials, bindings, or digital content as needed.
For example, if you’re publishing a pop-up book, ensure small parts are securely attached and use age-appropriate warning labels if needed.
Preparing Technical Documentation
Technical documentation proves that your books meet GPSR safety requirements. It should be readily available for regulatory authorities if requested.
Key Components
- A general description of the book, including its format, materials, and binding
- An analysis of possible risks — for example, choking hazards from attachments, or chemical safety of inks and coatings
- The safety measures taken to address those risks
- Test reports or certificates for any non-standard components, such as batteries, magnets, or fabric elements
- Records confirming supplier and material compliance checks
For instance, a children’s book with interactive features might require documentation proving compliance with EN 71 toy safety standards under the Toy Safety Directive.
How to Label Books for GPSR Compliance
Labelling isn’t just about branding—it’s essential for compliance, helping regulators and consumers identify products, trace their origins, and ensure safety. Under GPSR, books sold in the EU must include key traceability details directly on the product.
What Information Should Be Included?
To comply with GPSR, books should display:
- A product identifier — an ISBN, edition, or print-run/batch number — for traceability
- The publisher’s (manufacturer’s) name, postal address, and email address
- The name, postal address, and email address of the EU/UK Authorised Representative, if the publisher is based outside the EU/UK
- Relevant safety warnings, where applicable — for example, for books with small parts or aimed at young children
Since books usually lack external packaging, this information should appear on the imprint (copyright) page. The imprint must clearly state:
- Publisher’s name and address
- Print run/batch number or edition/year of publication
- ISBN
- Publisher’s contact email address
- Name, address, and email of the EU/UK Authorised Representative, where applicable
- Any safety warnings relevant to the book’s content or format
Here is an example of how to properly label a book under GPSR
Where applicable, if a book includes electronic components or interactive elements that fall under toy safety regulations, the imprint page should mention the CE marking and any age recommendations.
Note: in addition to what’s shown here, GPSR requires a working email address for both the publisher and the EU/UK Authorised Representative (Articles 9(6) and 16(3)) — a website link alone isn’t sufficient.
Technical Files Checklist & Risk Assessment Template
For Book Publishers
- Ensure Compliance
- Reduce Risk
- Streamline Documentation
- Supports market access
Get it now for just £40!
Print-on-Demand and Self-Published Authors: Who’s Responsible?
If you publish through Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or another print-on-demand platform, you’re still the manufacturer under GPSR — the platform printing and shipping your book on your behalf doesn’t transfer safety compliance to them.
Neither Amazon nor IngramSpark currently states a clear position on whether they take on any compliance role themselves (such as acting as importer or fulfilment provider), even when your book is printed at a local EU facility. Don’t assume your platform has this covered — check their current terms directly. If you’re based outside the EU/UK and selling into it, you’ll need your own Authorised Representative.
Appointing an Authorised Representative (AR)
- Publisher’s Name & Address: This should be clearly visible on the book or packaging.
- AR’s Name & Address: If you’re outside the EU/UK, list your AR’s details for compliance.
What Happens If a Book Turns Out Unsafe
Compliance doesn’t end once your book is published. If a safety issue turns up afterward — for example, a batch of pop-up books found to have a choking hazard, or inks that don’t meet chemical safety limits — GPSR requires the manufacturer (or the Responsible Person, if one has been appointed) to act. That means:
- Withdrawing the affected books from sale, or recalling copies already sold to consumers, depending on the severity of the risk
- Notifying the relevant market surveillance authorities without delay, via the EU’s Safety Business Gateway
- Informing affected consumers directly where possible, and offering a remedy — repair, replacement, or refund — at no cost to them
This is exactly why the record-keeping earlier in this guide matters in practice: your risk analysis, technical documentation, and print-run/batch numbers are what let you identify which copies are affected and reach the right consumers quickly.
