Hello, crochet friends!
I wanted to share an important update regarding my shop and why I’m temporarily putting it on holiday mode until at least January 2025—or until I have a better understanding of my obligations under the EU’s new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR).
This new regulation is aimed at ensuring products sold in the EU are safe and meet detailed safety, labeling, and documentation standards. Importantly, GPSR applies to both physical products—like crochet items—and digital products, such as crochet patterns. I didn’t realize this at first, and had coincidently already stopped sales of my physical items (here is my YouTube video explaining why!); but it appears that my crochet patterns may also be considered. There is a lot of conflicting information online about this, some folks say if it was listed before 13th December 2024 then it doesn’t apply, others say that only digital products such as software are included, not pdf patterns. It’s all very vague right now!
While I’m still figuring things out, from my basic understanding, here are some of the key obligations sellers may face under the GPSR:
- Ensuring all products (physical or digital) meet general safety requirements.
- Including clear warnings and usage instructions, if necessary (this needs to be accessible in the language of the country the item is being bought in).
- Keeping records of supply chain documentation and product safety assessments.
- Appointing an EU representative if you sell to customers within the EU and are based outside of it. This representative would handle compliance on your behalf and serve as a point of contact for regulators. There is typically a fee associated with this and figures other businesses have been quoted range from €300 – €1,000’s
As I’m not an expert, I want to take the time to fully understand these new rules and determine what they mean for small businesses like mine. Ensuring compliance with the GPSR is essential for the safety and trust of my customers, but it’s a lot to process, especially for a one-person operation!
For these reasons, I’ve decided to pause my shop until January 2025 while I learn more. My goal is to return with confidence, knowing that everything I offer—whether it’s a cozy crochet pattern or a handmade item—is fully in line with these new regulations.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support! I’ll keep you updated along the way. Until then, happy crocheting, and I hope to be back with you soon.
Resources for more information:
Jack's Yarn Crochet Designs 