Serbia Continuoes to Strenghten Alignment with EU Safety Standards
The application of the Rulebook on Establishing the List of Serbian Standards in the Field of General Product Safety and Vehicles and Amusement Park Devices (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 69/2025) (the “Rulebook”) adopted by the Serbian Government earlier this year commences as of 1 September 2025.
The Rulebook further aligns Serbia’s general product safety legal framework with the relevant European Union (EU) legislation.
Introduction of new harmonized European standards into Serbian Law
The Rulebook incorporates seven new Serbian standards, corresponding to harmonized European standards, into the List of Serbian Standards on General Product Safety. These standards address children’s furniture, child use and care articles and laser products.
The following harmonised European standards have thus been transposed into Serbian law:
- Furniture – Children’s cots and folding cots for domestic use – Part 1: Safety requirements – EN 716-1:2017+AC:2019
- Child use and care articles – Table-mounted chairs – Safety requirements and test methods – EN 1272:2017
- Child use and care articles – Soothers for babies and young children – Safety requirements and test methods – EN 1400:2013+A2:2018
- Child care articles – Reclined cradles – Part 1: Reclined cradles for children up to when they start to try to sit up- EN 12790-1:2023
- Child care articles – Reclined cradles – Part 2: Reclined cradles for children up to when they start to stand up- EN 12790-2:2023
- Children’s furniture – Seating for children – Safety requirements and test methods – EN 17191:2021
- Safety of laser products – Particular Requirements for Consumer Laser Products – EN 50689:2021
Presumption of product safety
It should be noted that under the Law on General Product Safety, a product is deemed safe when it complies with the applicable Serbian standard that incorporates the corresponding harmonized European standard.
Since conformity with the relevant standard gives rise to a presumption of product safety, manufacturers, importers, and distributors in Serbia dealing with children’s furniture, child care articles, and laser products should verify whether their products meet the requirements of the newly incorporated harmonized European standards.
EU general product safety legal framework
The Rulebook advances Serbia’s harmonization with the EU’s general product safety framework, primarily governed by the Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (GPSR).
GPSR, whose application commenced as of 13 December 2024, replaced the Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety, thereby establishing a unified general product safety legal framework across EU Member States.
GPSR prescribes a presumption of conformity of a product with the general safety requirement if it conforms to relevant European standards published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
These standards are listed in the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1698 (CID) along with Commission Implementing Decisions 2020/1808, 2022/1401 and 2024/2406, amending the CID.
Conclusion
The adoption of the Rulebook marks a step forward in aligning Serbia’s regulatory framework with EU legislation in the field of general product safety and reflects Serbia’s commitment to enhancing consumer protection by fostering safer products for consumers.