---
title: "We do not know which languages the instructions must be in"
description: "EU product acts do not name languages. The GPSR and the sector directives require instructions and safety information in a language consumers easily understand, as determined by the Member State where the product is made available. So the language follows the country of sale, not the manufacturer. Find each target country's rule, translate instructions, warnings and online safety information, and keep the files per country."
type: "problem"
url: "https://www.conphora.com/solutions/problem/language-requirements/"
markdown: "https://www.conphora.com/solutions/problem/language-requirements.md"
locale: "en"
language: "en"
updated: "2026-10-05"
author: "Conphora compliance team"
publisher: "Conphora"
source: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02023R0988-20260529"
tags: ["GPSR", "LVD", "EMC", "RED", "TSD", "CosR", "placing-on-market"]
license: "Free to quote with attribution and a link to the page"
---

# We do not know which languages the instructions must be in

EU product acts do not name languages. The GPSR and the sector directives require instructions and safety information in a language consumers easily understand, as determined by the Member State where the product is made available. So the language follows the country of sale, not the manufacturer. Find each target country's rule, translate instructions, warnings and online safety information, and keep the files per country.

## Why this happens

No EU product act lists languages. They all use the same formula instead: instructions and safety information must be in a language which can be easily understood by consumers, as determined by the Member State in which the product is made available. The General Product Safety Regulation sets it for manufacturers and importers (Articles 9(7) and 11(4)) and makes distributors check it before selling (Article 12(1)). The language therefore follows the country of sale, and a product sold in five countries may need five language versions, or fewer where a Member State accepts a language spoken elsewhere. For products subject to Union harmonisation legislation, the GPSR's Articles 9 to 18 do not apply (Article 2(1)(b)); the sector act's own language rule takes their place, while Article 19 on online offers applies to both. [1]

The sector directives repeat the formula. Under the Low Voltage Directive, manufacturers and importers ensure that electrical equipment comes with instructions and safety information in a language easily understood by consumers and other end users, as determined by the Member State concerned, and the instructions, safety information and labelling must be clear, understandable and intelligible (Directive 2014/35/EU Articles 6(7) and 8(4)). The EMC Directive applies the same rule to instructions and the Article 18 information (Directive 2014/30/EU Articles 7(7) and 9(4)), the Radio Equipment Directive to instructions and safety information (Directive 2014/53/EU Articles 10(8) and 12(4)), and the Toy Safety Directive to toys (Directive 2009/48/EC Articles 4(7) and 6(4)). From 1 August 2030 the Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 replaces that directive (Articles 56 and 59 of that regulation). [2] [7] [6] [4] [8]

Warnings and contact details have their own rules. For toys, a Member State may stipulate that warnings and safety instructions are written in a language easily understood by its consumers (Directive 2009/48/EC Article 11(3)). The contact details that manufacturers and importers put on electrical, EMC and radio equipment must be in a language easily understood by end users and market surveillance authorities (Directive 2014/35/EU Articles 6(6) and 8(3); Directive 2014/30/EU Articles 7(6) and 9(3); Directive 2014/53/EU Articles 10(7) and 12(3)). When the product is sold online, the offer shows the warnings and safety information in the language the Member State determines (GPSR Article 19(d)). [4] [2] [6] [1]

Cosmetics split the label. The nominal content, the durability date, the precautions and the function are given in the language determined by the law of the Member State where the product reaches the end user (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 Article 19(5)), while the ingredient list uses the common ingredient names of the glossary in every country (Article 19(6)). Distributors verify that the language requirements are met before selling (Article 6(2)). The Court of Justice has held that this language rule can also be applied to a seller established in another Member State that sells online to consumers in that country, because such labelling requirements fall outside the coordinated field of the e-commerce Directive (Case C-88/23). [5]

Authorities have their own language claim. Manufacturers and importers provide documentation demonstrating conformity in a language the requesting authority easily understands (Directive 2014/35/EU Article 6(9); Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 Article 4(3)(b)), and the EU declaration of conformity under the Low Voltage Directive is translated into the language or languages required by the Member State where the equipment is placed or made available (Directive 2014/35/EU Article 15(2)). When products are found lacking, authorities can require warnings in the language or languages that Member State determines (Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 Article 16(3)(e)). [2] [3]

## How to solve it

1. **List the countries where the product is made available** The language duty attaches to the Member State where the product is made available to consumers or end users. List every country you, your distributors or your marketplaces sell to, including web shops that deliver across borders.
2. **Find each country's language rule** The acts leave the choice to each Member State, so the answer is in national law or with the national authority. Note per country which language or languages it requires for instructions, safety information and warnings, and whether it accepts more than one.
3. **Translate the instructions and safety information** Instructions and safety information must be clear and in a language consumers easily understand, as the Member State determines. Under the Low Voltage, EMC and Radio Equipment Directives, the instructions, safety information and any labelling must also be clear, understandable and intelligible.
4. **Translate warnings on the product and the online offer** Toy warnings and safety instructions can be required in the national language. Online offers show the warnings and safety information that go on the product or packaging in the language the Member State determines. For cosmetics, the content, durability, precautions and function follow national law; the ingredient list uses the common ingredient names.
5. **Write contact details for everyone to understand** Under the Low Voltage, EMC and Radio Equipment Directives, the manufacturer's and importer's contact details on the product must be in a language easily understood by end users and market surveillance authorities. The GPSR asks for a postal and electronic address but sets no language rule for them.
6. **Be ready to answer authorities in their language** On a reasoned request, manufacturers and importers provide the documentation that shows conformity in a language the authority easily understands. The EU declaration of conformity under the Low Voltage Directive is translated into the language or languages the Member State requires.

## What you need to show

- **A language matrix: country, required languages, source of the rule** — The manufacturer or importer, from national law or the national authority (Supporting record for GPSR Articles 9(7) and 11(4); the text does not require a matrix)
- **Instructions, safety information and warnings per language, with version and date** — The manufacturer, or the importer for imported products (GPSR Article 9(7); Directive 2014/35/EU Article 6(7); Directive 2009/48/EC Articles 4(7) and 11(3))

## If you do nothing

- **Distributors must hold back products without the right language** — Distributors verify, before selling, that instructions and safety information are in a language easily understood in the Member State of sale, and do not make the product available if they are not (GPSR Article 12(1) and (3); Directive 2014/35/EU Article 9(2); Directive 2009/48/EC Article 7(2)).
- **Authorities can order warnings in their language** — Corrective action can include affixing clear warnings in the language or languages the Member State determines, and alerting end users in that language (Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 Article 16(3)(e) and (g)).
- **Cosmetics labels in the wrong language are a labelling breach** — Non-compliance with the language rule in Article 19(5) is one of the grounds on which authorities require corrective action, withdrawal or recall (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 Article 25(1)(h)).

## Questions

### Is English enough for the whole EU?

Only in a Member State that determines English is easily understood by its consumers. The acts leave the choice to each Member State (GPSR Article 9(7)).

### Can we leave out instructions if the product is obvious to use?

Under the GPSR, the instructions and safety information requirement does not apply where the product can be used safely and as intended without them (GPSR Article 9(7)).

### Who translates when we import?

The importer ensures that the product is accompanied by instructions and safety information in the required language (GPSR Article 11(4); Directive 2014/35/EU Article 8(4); Directive 2014/53/EU Article 12(4); Directive 2014/30/EU Article 9(4); Directive 2009/48/EC Article 6(4)).

### Do the radio frequency details belong in the instructions?

Yes. For radio equipment intentionally emitting radio waves, the instructions include the frequency bands and the maximum radio-frequency power transmitted (Directive 2014/53/EU Article 10(8)).

### Must the cosmetic ingredient list be translated?

No. Article 19(5) leaves the language of the content, durability date, precautions and function to national law but does not include the ingredient list, which uses the common ingredient names from the Commission's glossary, or a generally accepted nomenclature where none exists (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 Article 19(5) and (6)).

## Regulations involved

GPSR, LVD, EMC, RED, TSD, CosR

## Sources

1. [Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (consolidated text of 29 May 2026)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02023R0988-20260529) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04
2. [Directive 2014/35/EU on electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02014L0035-20260530) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04
3. [Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and compliance of products (consolidated text of 12 August 2026)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02019R1020-20260812) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04
4. [Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys (consolidated text of 29 August 2026)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02009L0048-20260829) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04
5. [Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (consolidated text of 18 May 2026)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02009R1223-20260518) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04
6. [Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02014L0053-20260530) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04
7. [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility (consolidated text of 30 May 2026)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02014L0030-20260530) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04
8. [Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32025R2509) — EUR-Lex, 2026-10-04