Understanding the Relationship Between the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) and the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)
- marc dorrepaal
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
In the ever-evolving landscape of product compliance, businesses must navigate a complex web of regulations to ensure their products meet legal requirements. Two key regulations in this context are the GPSR and the CPR. While both frameworks aim to ensure product safety, they operate at different levels, leading to a crucial principle in regulatory compliance: specific legislation (CPR) takes precedence over general legislation (GPSR). But what does this mean in practice for businesses? Let’s break it down.

GPSR: The General Safety Net
The GPSR serves as an overarching framework designed to ensure the safety of all consumer products placed on the EU market. It applies when there is no specific legislation governing a particular product. Under the GPSR, economic operators, including manufacturers, importers, and distributors, must ensure that products are safe for consumers and comply with general safety requirements. This includes obligations such as:
Conducting risk assessments.
Providing clear safety information and warnings.
Cooperating with market surveillance authorities in case of product recalls.
The GPSR is a broad regulation that covers all types of consumer products unless specific sectoral legislation applies. This brings us to the CPR.
CPR: The Specific Standard for Construction Products
The CPR applies exclusively to products used in construction, ensuring that they meet essential requirements related to safety, performance, and environmental impact. Unlike the GPSR, which focuses on general safety, the CPR mandates a structured approach to compliance, including:
Harmonized European Standards that provide detailed technical specifications.
The CE marking requirement, proving that a product meets performance and safety criteria.
Declaration of Performance, where manufacturers must specify how their product performs against set criteria.
The CPR ensures that construction products are assessed based on standardized performance measures, which helps in creating a uniform European market for these products.
Which Regulation Takes Precedence?
When a product falls under both the GPSR and CPR, the specific regulation (CPR) overrides the general regulation (GPSR). This is a fundamental principle in EU law: specific laws take precedence over general ones.
Practical Implications for Businesses
Construction products must comply with the CPR first. If your product is covered by CPR, you must follow its provisions before considering GPSR requirements. This includes obtaining a CE mark, issuing a Declaration of Performance, and adhering to harmonized standards.
GPSR only applies where CPR is silent. If a particular aspect of product safety is not covered by CPR (for example, packaging or general consumer use considerations), then the GPSR might still be relevant.
Obligations differ depending on the role in the supply chain. Manufacturers, importers, and distributors of construction products must be aware that CPR requirements are more detailed and enforceable than GPSR obligations.
Authorities will enforce CPR first. When assessing compliance, authorities will prioritize sector-specific requirements before applying broader safety obligations.
Conclusion
For businesses dealing in construction products, understanding this hierarchy of regulations is critical. The CPR takes precedence over the GPSR, meaning compliance with CPR is the first and primary obligation. The GPSR only applies to aspects not explicitly covered by the CPR.
Ensuring compliance with the correct regulation is not just a legal necessity but also a competitive advantage. Businesses that stay ahead of regulatory requirements can ensure smoother market access, avoid penalties, and build trust with customers.
For more information on the GPSR and CPR, including checklists and practical guidance on compliance, visit CheckRegulations.com.
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