EU Compliance for Furniture Importers in 2026: GPSR, EPR and EUDR

Three EU regimes now sit between a Chinese factory and an EU buyer: GPSR, in force since December 13, 2024; EPR registration, which is per Member State and product stream; and EUDR, whose December 30, 2026 deadline covers wooden furniture and wood components. Non-EU manufacturers need an EU responsible person and a complete document file before the first shipment.

Which EU rules apply to furniture in 2026 — and when?

The pattern is consistent: the EU importer or an EU-established responsible person carries the legal duty, and the manufacturer supplies the evidence.

What does GPSR require from a non-EU manufacturer?

GPSR applies to consumer products where no sector-specific safety legislation covers the same risk, and it does not require CE marking for furniture. Four obligations matter:

• An EU responsible person. The name, trade name and postal and electronic address of a responsible person must appear on the product, packaging or an accompanying document. For a non-EU factory, that is normally the EU importer or an authorised representative under a written mandate.
• Risk assessment and technical documentation. The manufacturer must assess each product’s hazards and record how they are eliminated or mitigated, with the standards and test reports used.
• Traceability. Model, batch and manufacturer identification must allow the product to be traced.
• Incident reporting and recall. If a product is unsafe, the operator must notify authorities and consumers and run a recall.

Scope is the common misread. Office furniture for workplaces is usually a professional product, which can put it outside GPSR. Home-office and dual-use lines are covered, and most importers document the whole range to one standard.

Where and how do you register for EPR?

Extended producer responsibility makes the party that first places a product or its packaging on a national market responsible for end-of-life costs. In practice the importer or brand owner is the producer, even when the factory is in Dongguan.

Registration is national, not EU-wide. Germany requires packaging producers to register in LUCID before sales; France requires registration through ADEME and the relevant scheme, including Ecomaison for furniture. Other Member States run their own registers and fee schedules. Expect to report volumes by material and weight, and to show registration numbers on invoices and packaging.

Two 2026 changes matter. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has applied since August 12, 2026 and adds recyclability and recycled-content requirements on top of registration. The Commission also proposed in December 2025 to suspend the authorised-representative requirement for direct-to-consumer sellers; that proposal is still with the Parliament and Council, so do not plan around it.

When does EUDR bite, and what is a due diligence statement?

The EU Deforestation Regulation replaces the EU Timber Regulation. The dates are fixed: large and medium operators from December 30, 2026, micro and small operators from June 30, 2027 — except micro and small operators already covered by EUTR, which start on December 30, 2026.

Scope is by CN code, not by “contains wood”. Annex I covers wooden seats under ex 9401, wooden office furniture (9403.30), other wooden furniture (9403.60) and wooden parts (9403.91), plus panels and boards such as 4408 and 4412. Metal-frame desks with laminate tops may fall outside; a wooden chair does not. Classification decides.

For in-scope goods, the EU operator must file a due diligence statement in the EUDR information system before placing them on the market, with plot geolocation, harvest dates, species, supplier details and quantity, then pass the DDS reference down the chain. The manufacturer’s job is to supply plot-level data — where many factories stall, because a trader’s “sustainable timber” declaration is not a geolocation.

Certification helps but does not replace due diligence. FSC or PEFC chain-of-custody supports the assessment; the operator still files the DDS and remains liable for its accuracy.

What should be in the import file?

The recurring failures are predictable: a responsible person named on the label but never mandated; EPR registration completed after the first sale; a supplier-issued “EUDR certificate” instead of an operator-filed DDS; and invoices that do not show the registration numbers the scheme requires. Fixing these before the December EUDR deadline is cheaper than a border hold.

Frequently asked questions

Does GPSR apply to office furniture sold to businesses?

Often not, because GPSR covers consumer products and workplace office furniture is usually professional. Home-office and dual-use products are covered, and importers typically document the whole range.

Do we need an EU authorised representative, or is the importer enough?

The importer can be the responsible person if it is established in the EU and accepts the role in writing. Selling directly to EU customers without an EU importer requires an authorised representative.

Is FSC certification enough for EUDR?

No. Certification supports the risk assessment, but the EU operator must still file a due diligence statement with plot geolocation and evidence that the wood is deforestation-free and legal.

Which EPR registrations are needed for Germany and France?

Germany: packaging registration in LUCID. France: registration through ADEME plus the relevant scheme, including Ecomaison for furniture and the packaging scheme for cartons and film.

What happens if the EUDR deadline is missed?

In-scope goods cannot be placed on the EU market without a valid due diligence statement. Expect customs and market-surveillance action, plus contractual exposure with buyers whose tenders require compliance.

Does furniture need CE marking?

Generally no. Furniture is not covered by a CE-marking directive, but it must still be safe under GPSR, meet REACH and national rules, and comply with EUDR if it contains in-scope wood.

Sources

• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj (accessed November 4, 2026)
• Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, GPSR in force December 13, 2024 — https://www.ccpc.ie/news-and-media/news/article/2024/12/13/new-eu-product-safety-laws-now-in-place (accessed November 4, 2026)
• European Commission, Regulation on Deforestation-free Products — https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/forests/deforestation/regulation-deforestation-free-products_en (accessed November 4, 2026)
• European Commission, Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation — https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/packaging-waste_en (accessed November 4, 2026)
• European Commission, Waste Framework Directive and EPR — https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/waste-framework-directive_en (accessed November 4, 2026)
• European Commission, ESPR working plan press release — https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_25_1071/IP_25_1071_EN.pdf (accessed November 4, 2026)
• Compliance Gate, EUDR requirements for furniture — https://www.compliancegate.com/eudr-furniture-requirements/ (accessed November 4, 2026)
• Ecomaison, regulatory obligations for furniture producers — https://ecomaison.com/en/professionnels/vos-obligations-reglementaires/ (accessed November 4, 2026)

For the product documentation behind these files, see the certifications page and the product catalogue. Import-file questions for a specific market go through the contact form.

Last updated: November 2026

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