If your business is established outside the European Union and you sell physical products to consumers in any of the 27 EU member states, you are legally required to appoint an EU Responsible Person. This applies regardless of whether you sell through Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce, your own website, or any other channel reaching EU consumers.
The requirement affects a broad range of product categories. Amazon FBA sellers shipping to European fulfilment centres must display a named EU Responsible Person on every listing — Amazon actively enforces this and will suppress non-compliant ASINs without warning. Shopify and DTC brands selling cross-border into Europe face the same obligation: customs authorities will seize goods at the border if packaging does not display a registered EU address.
Cosmetics brands fall under additional scrutiny. Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 requires a designated Responsible Person who maintains the Product Information File (PIF) and registers products via the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP). Electronics and CE-marked goods require an EU Authorised Representative under the relevant product-specific directives before goods can be placed on the market.
The full answer, with the law quoted and what each role is called: EU authorised representative for non-EU sellers: who must appoint one, cost and how long it takes.
UK brands post-Brexit are no longer EU-based and therefore must appoint an EU Responsible Person to continue selling into Europe. This is not optional — it became mandatory on 16 July 2021 under Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and was further reinforced by GPSR (EU 2023/988) which took effect in December 2024.