Council Corrects Spanish Language Error in General Product Safety Regulation

The Council of the European Union has published a corrigendum to the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), correcting a linguistic error in the Spanish language version of Article 9(11). The change, dated 3 May 2026, replaces 'correo electrónico' (email) with 'dirección electrónica' (electronic address), aligning the Spanish text with other language versions and ensuring that manufacturers must provide an electronic address—not just email—for consumers to submit safety complaints. The correction is a technical rectification with no impact on the substance of the regulation.

Technical correction, no policy change The corrigendum is a purely linguistic fix. Article 9(11) of the GPSR requires manufacturers to provide a single point of contact for consumers to report safety concerns. The original Spanish text used 'correo electrónico,' which could be interpreted narrowly as email. The corrected term 'dirección electrónica' covers a broader range of electronic communication channels, such as web forms or online portals, consistent with the intent of the regulation and other language versions. The Council's document confirms this is an obvious error rectification, not a policy amendment.

Impact on stakeholders The correction has negligible practical impact on most stakeholders. For manufacturers, the requirement remains unchanged: they must offer an electronic channel for consumer complaints. The change primarily benefits Spanish-speaking consumers and legal practitioners by removing ambiguity. National enforcement authorities in Spanish-speaking EU member states (Spain) will apply the broader interpretation, but this does not alter compliance obligations. The corrigendum does not affect other language versions or the regulation's substantive provisions on product safety, traceability, or market surveillance.

Institutional follow-up As a Council corrigendum, the document is final and requires no further action from other EU institutions. The corrected Spanish version will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will apply retroactively from the date of the GPSR's application. No further legislative steps are expected.