Inverkehrbringens

Inverkehrbringen is a legal term used in European product safety and market regulations. It denotes the act of placing a product on the market within the European Economic Area for the first time. This includes making a product available for distribution or use by consumers, businesses, or other end users, whether by sale, lease, loan, or free‑of‑charge transfer. The first placing on the market can occur by the manufacturer, an importer, or an authorised representative where required.

The person responsible for inverkehrbringen must ensure the product’s compliance with applicable Union directives and national laws, perform or arrange conformity assessment, affix the CE marking if required, and issue a Declaration of Conformity. They must maintain technical documentation and be able to demonstrate conformity. Distributors and retailers have a duty not to place non‑compliant products on the market and to cooperate with market surveillance authorities.

Scope and examples: The term is used across EU product safety rules and is implemented nationally through laws such as Germany’s Produktsicherheitsgesetz (ProdSG). An example is an electronic device manufactured outside the EU and first supplied in the EU market; the party placing it on the market must ensure it meets safety requirements and bears the appropriate conformity markings.

Distinctions: Inverkehrbringen refers to the first placing on the market, not to later use, installation, or operation of the product. It is a key concept determining liability, compliance obligations, and the applicability of market surveillance and penalties for non‑compliant products.