DSA and GPSR: the new rules of the game for selling on Bol and Amazon

With the introduction of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), sellers on platforms such as Bol and Amazon must comply with stricter regulations designed to ensure the safety and transparency of online sales in Europe. What does this mean for you as a seller? And what steps do you need to take?

Digital Service Act

The Digital Services Act (DSA), which will come into force within the EU on 17 February 2025, requires platforms and sellers to adopt more transparent and secure sales practices. The regulations require platforms and sellers to be more transparent about product information, origin and responsible parties within the EU. Customers will have quicker access to details such as the name, address and contact details of the manufacturer or importer.

Why DSA?

The new regulations ensure that platforms such as Bol become more transparent, secure and reliable for customers. The aim is to prevent illegal and harmful content, including inaccurate product information. It also gives customers greater insight into the origin of products. As a partner, this means you must provide clear and accurate information about your products to ensure they continue to meet the stricter requirements.

What will you be doing?

To comply with the new requirements of the DSA, you, as a seller, must provide additional information. This includes:

• Product information
  • Price, quantity and product specifications.
  • Product safety and compliance (such as labelling).
  • Trademarks, symbols or logos belonging to the seller.
  • Unique item number, such as an EAN.
• A responsible market participant in the EU
  • Name, address, telephone number and email address of a manufacturer, importer or distributor.

Make sure you add as much information as possible to your products. If you fail to do so and consequently do not comply with the DSA, Bol will (temporarily) close your sales account. Avoid problems by checking your data before February 2025 and ensuring that you meet all the requirements.

General Product Safety Regulation

The GPSR, which comes into force on 13 December 2024, replaces previous European safety regulations and focuses on the safety of products within the EU. This regulation applies to both physical and online products and requires additional warning and safety information on product detail pages for non-food products.

What does this mean for you?

• Account level: Ensure you appoint an authorised EU representative and provide comprehensive information about your manufacturer.
• Product level: Upload safety documents, such as user manuals, safety data sheets and installation guides. These files must be accessible via a public URL.

The impact of these new rules

The introduction of the DSA and GPSR ensures safe and transparent sales. For salespeople, this brings new challenges, but also opportunities. By meeting the requirements in good time, you not only increase customer trust but also strengthen your position on platforms such as Bol and Amazon.

Use these guidelines as an opportunity to take your product information and customer service to the next level. Make sure you’re prepared and remain a reliable partner in an increasingly demanding online market!

Not sure whether you meet all the requirements? Let us take a look with you and avoid any surprises. We’re happy to help!