As circular business models such as repair, refurbishment and second‑hand sales continue to expand across the EU, ensuring that products remain safe when they re‑enter the market has become an increasingly important policy challenge.
The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) applies not only to new products but also to those that are reused, repaired or refurbished, raising new questions about liability, compliance, standards and consumer trust in complex circular supply chains. The Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) needed robust, up‑to‑date evidence on the safety risks associated with circular products, how consumers perceive and respond to those risks, and whether existing legal and enforcement frameworks are fit for purpose, in order to implement the GPSR effectively while supporting the EU’s wider sustainability goals.
Verian led a large‑scale, mixed‑methods study that combined policy analysis and behavioural and consumer research to build a comprehensive evidence base, including:
a review of EU and national legal frameworks
in‑depth interviews with key actors across the circular economy
a representative survey of more than 10,000 consumers
a behavioural experiment testing the impact of safety information on purchasing decisions
mystery shopping on online platforms to assess how safety information is provided in practice.
A multi‑stakeholder workshop was also organised to validate findings and test emerging recommendations.
Throughout the project, Verian brought expertise in rigorous research design, clear communication and policy relevance to ensure the outputs were both credible and actionable for decision‑makers
The study provides DG JUST with a strong evidence base to support the implementation of the General Product Safety Regulation in the context of the circular economy. It enables policymakers to better understand where safety risks arise when products re‑enter the market, how gaps in information undermine consumer trust, and how regulation, standards and market surveillance can be strengthened to address these issues.
By showing how improved transparency and clearer responsibilities can increase consumer confidence, the work supports a circular economy that is not only more sustainable but also safe, trusted and resilient, directly contributing to the EU’s broader objectives on consumer protection and the functioning of the single market.