Which EU economic operator does your product need?
GPSR Article 16 forbids placing consumer goods on the EU market without an economic operator established in the Union. Answer eight structured questions and the ladder routes deterministically — manufacturer, importer, authorised representative, or fulfilment service provider — citing Reg (EU) 2019/1020 Art 4 at every rung.
Routing rules + AR/FSP price ranges verified 2026-06-09. Refreshed quarterly; older than 120 days the verdict is held back.
GPSR economic operator ladder
The first rung that matches your supply-chain shape is the verdict. Order is Art 4(1) hierarchical — not free choice.
1 · EU-established manufacturer
If you are established in any EU-27 or EEA country, you are the economic operator. No designation needed; you carry GPSR Ch 3 duties yourself.
2 · EU importer
If a single or multiple EU importers place your goods on the market, each is an EO for the products it imports. Per-importer mandate; one AR contract cannot consolidate this.
3 · Authorised representative (AR)
Non-EU manufacturer with no EU importer and any DTC, marketplace, or B2B channel: a written AR mandate is required before any product is placed on the EU market.
4 · Fulfilment service provider (FSP)
Sole channel is Amazon FBA / 3PL and you do not appoint an AR: the FSP becomes EO of last resort under Art 4(1)(d). Contested by several MSAs — appointing an AR in parallel is the safe path.
Disclaimer
This tool is a routing estimator, not legal advice. Verdicts are derived deterministically from GPSR Art 16 + Reg (EU) 2019/1020 Art 4 + the harmonisation map in Annex I. The dataset is refreshed quarterly; older than 120 days it stops producing verdicts. Consult an EU compliance counsel or a notified body before relying on the verdict for a customs declaration, marketplace KYC, or mandate signing.