The three gates
Customs checks the declaration: classification, value, origin, licences. Product law checks the goods: CE marking where applicable, labelling, safety files, the GPSR responsible person named. Market surveillance checks the shelf: authorities test, and findings trace to the importer of record.
The importer’s own routine
A Dutch-side inspection rhythm on arrival — sampling against spec, labelling verification, documentation match — catches issues at repair cost instead of recall cost. For component flows it protects the customer’s line; for consumer goods, the listing and the brand.
The file that answers
Per product line: technical documentation, declarations of conformity, test reports, supplier agreements — retrievable in days when an authority asks. The BV (besloten vennootschap, the Dutch private limited company) as importer holds the file alongside its EPR and packaging registrations: one entity, one binder, every market.
Where it plugs in
The routine completes the import stack from Article 23 and the evidence disciplines: cash clean, papers clean, product clean — the three-part definition of a professional EU importer.