GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Aug 14, 2026

Fulfilment Service Provider (EU Product Liability Law)

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Last updated: 14 August 2026

Source: Frachtportal News: "Neue EU-Produkthaftung: Fulfilment-Dienstleister können selbst haften"; EU-Richtlinie (EU) 2024/2853

Category

Logistics Concept

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1 min

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161

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Definition & Explanation

A Chinese online retailer with no EU establishment ships goods directly into a European fulfilment warehouse, from where individual orders go straight to end customers — if there is neither a liable importer nor an authorised representative of the manufacturer within the EU, the fulfilment service provider itself can be pulled into the product liability chain. Under the EU Product Liability Directive (EU) 2024/2853, a fulfilment service provider is a company that offers at least two of the following services — warehousing, packaging, labelling, and shipping — without owning the goods. Pure postal, parcel, and freight transport services are explicitly excluded, so a company that merely arranges road or ocean freight does not automatically become liable. Liability under the directive is fault-independent and applies only as a fallback, once no other responsible economic operator can be identified within the EU. Not to be confused with a fulfilment centre, which simply denotes the physical warehousing and shipping facility, regardless of legal liability.