Selling into Estonia
GPSR responsible person in Estonia
Every consumer product sold in Estonia needs an economic operator established in the EU who is responsible for it, under Regulation (EU) 2023/988, applicable since 13 December 2024. An EU manufacturer already qualifies and needs to appoint nobody. A manufacturer outside the EU must appoint an authorised representative, importer or fulfilment service provider before the product can be sold.
What the regulation requires
Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety replaced the old General Product Safety Directive. It has applied across the EU, Estonia included, since 13 December 2024.
The rule that changes things for distance selling is that a consumer product may not be placed on the EU market unless there is an economic operator established in the Union who is responsible for it. That operator has to be identifiable, contactable, and named where the product is offered.
| Your situation | Responsible person | What you have to do |
|---|---|---|
| You manufacture in an EU member state | You, as the manufacturer | Nothing to appoint. Publish your name and address. |
| You manufacture outside the EU and import through your own EU entity | Your EU entity, as the importer | Publish the EU entity's name and address. |
| You manufacture outside the EU and sell direct to Estonian consumers | An appointed authorised representative in the EU | Appoint one in writing before selling. Publish their name and address. |
| You manufacture outside the EU and sell to an Estonian distributor | The Estonian distributor, as importer | The distributor carries it. Publish their name and address. |
What has to appear where
Two separate places, and both are checked.
- On the product, its packaging, or an accompanying document. The manufacturer's name, registered trade name or trade mark, postal address and electronic address. If the responsible person is a different party, their details too.
- In the online offer, before the purchase is completed. The same identification, plus product identification such as type, batch or serial number and a picture, and any warning or safety information, in a language the Estonian consumer readily understands. In practice that means Estonian.
Who enforces it in Estonia
Market surveillance for consumer products in Estonia sits with the Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, commonly abbreviated TTJA. It also runs the consumer disputes committee.
The Estonian statute that carries the regulation into national law is the Product Conformity Act (Toote nõuetele vastavuse seadus), amended to reference Regulation (EU) 2023/988. Penalties for placing non-conforming products on the market are set in that Act, and enforcement sits with the TTJA. Separately, where the breach is one of labelling, instruction manuals or price indication, Consumer Protection Act § 68 applies: up to 200 fine units, and up to 40,000 euros for a legal person.
What this means commercially
If you manufacture in the EU, GPSR is a publishing obligation rather than an appointment obligation. Your name and address go on the Estonian listing. That is not a reason to avoid the market.
It does mean that whoever builds your Estonian listing has to have your correct legal name, registered address and contact address, and has to put them on the page. A listing built from a product feed that carries no manufacturer identification will not be compliant.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a responsible person in Estonia specifically?
No. The regulation requires an economic operator established in the European Union, not in each member state. A responsible person in Germany or Poland covers Estonian sales.
I manufacture in Italy. Do I need to appoint anyone?
No. As an EU manufacturer you are the responsible person yourself. You publish your name, address and electronic address on the product and in the online offer.
Does a distributor become the responsible person?
Only where the distributor is the importer, meaning it brings the goods into the EU from outside. If both you and the distributor are in the EU, you remain the responsible person and the distributor has separate distributor duties.
When did GPSR start to apply?
13 December 2024. Regulation (EU) 2023/988 replaced Directive 2001/95/EC from that date.
Does the information have to be in Estonian?
Warnings and safety information must be in a language the consumer readily understands, which for the Estonian market means Estonian. Separately, the Consumer Protection Act § 4(3) requires information provided to a consumer to be in Estonian unless the consumer has agreed otherwise. See Estonian language labelling requirements.
Who checks this in Estonia?
The Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet (TTJA).
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council on general product safety, applicable from 13 December 2024.
- Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet, ttja.ee.
- Consumer Protection Act § 4(3), Riigi Teataja. Checked 2026-08-27.
Seekor is the trading name of Mervantis OÜ, an Estonian distribution company (register code 14412321). When we list a range, the manufacturer is named as responsible person on every product page. How it works.