« Another box of Books sent back from Ireland because of Brexit nonsense “, grumbled Kevin Duffy, director of the publishing house Bluemoose Books on without any explanation», specifies the director of this publishing house based in Hebden Bridge, in England, with The Bookseller .
There is indeed one justification, but it is more implicit: the new regulations are giving publishing houses a hard time. And for good reason, all books shipped to Europe must meet GPSR requirements. And they are numerous, and therefore expensive.
Countering the sales giants, to the detriment of the small ones
Starting with the obligation, to send a package, to appoint a legal representative in the EU. A measure requested in order to ensure an official presence in the territory, to guarantee product conformity, and to facilitate the management of disputes. But, unofficially, this precaution would help combat dangerous products sold online by companies like Temu and Shein.
Understand, depending on the level of risks linked to the product – which increases significantly for books intended for children – several hundred or even thousands of euros per year. You might as well ask for the impossible for the smallest structures, which are already struggling to keep their heads above water.
The GPSR: an administrative puzzle
Lack of money therefore, but above all a lack of time: the regulations impose heavy administrative procedures. The latter now requires, for each shipment, the assessment and written documentation of potential health and safety risks, but also to guarantee traceability via specific labeling.
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Companies must also provide detailed technical documentation, and establish effective procedures for the rapid withdrawal or recall of non-compliant products… A set of strict procedures that not everyone has had the time to read. While the regulations were introduced on June 12, 2023, those affected had a grace period of 18 months, which ended on December 12, 2024.
Result: many booksellers, journalists and publishers have not had time to adapt. Especially since it occurs in the middle of December, a pivotal period for the book sector. If everyone has their noses buried in boxes, professionals have neither the time nor the possibility of raising their heads to dwell on these new regulations.
Initiatives to limit mass returns
Initiatives are emerging to curb the massive return of books, and continue the export of literature to the European market. The Publisher association, specialized in the standardization of metadata for the book industries, also at the origin of ONIX, quickly adapted the latter to integrate GPSR information and facilitate access to the requested information.
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But, as David Aldridge, technical director of Consonance.app, points out, The Bookseller« transmitting this data from publishers to retailers requires a seamless digital supply chain, using the latest ONIX standards, such as version 3.1.2».
The publishing sector therefore finds itself faced with a new series of logistical and regulatory obstacles, hampering the export and visibility of European works. A new blow for international literature, which recently learned of the end of the Books and Brochures rate of La Poste, an international shipping solution, after 22 years of good service…
Image credits: Romary, CC BY-SA 3.0
By Louella Boulland
Contact : [email protected]
