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Let Operator One assess your brand's potential in European Amazon marketplaces at no cost.
In today’s European e-commerce landscape, where marketplaces dominate product discovery and consumers compare millions of items within seconds, accuracy and control over product data have become a strategic advantage. The foundation of this control lies in something many companies underestimate: the EAN code.
What was once considered a basic operational requirement—a barcode printed on packaging—has evolved into one of the most important digital assets for any brand selling online. The EAN is no longer just a retail barcode; it is the key that defines how a product exists on marketplaces, how customers experience it, how reviews are assigned, how search algorithms recognise it, and how brands maintain authority over their catalogue across multiple countries.
In Europe, where marketplaces such as Amazon EU, bol.com, Kaufland, Allegro, Decathlon, Otto, and others operate on structured catalogue systems, GTIN/EAN ownership is not just beneficial; it is essential. Brands that underestimate this quickly discover that incorrect, reused or cheap non-GS1 codes create long-term damage—lost content control, mixed reviews, duplicate product pages, and restrictions in cross-border sales.
This article explains, in detail, why EAN codes matter more than ever, how marketplaces use them, and why correct GTIN ownership has become the digital foundation for sustainable growth across European marketplaces.
The EAN (European Article Number), formally part of the GS1 GTIN system, is the globally unique identifier used across Europe. Almost every major retailer and marketplace relies on it as the primary product identifier. Although “EAN” is the commonly used term, what we are really dealing with is GTIN-13, one of the core formats within the GS1numbering system.
What makes the GTIN so critical is the concept of global uniqueness tied to a company prefix. When a brand joins GS1,it receives a range of numbers that are legally connected to its entity. This allows marketplaces, distributors, and retailers to verify that the product truly belongs to the brand listing it. In a world where sellers from across the globe list products on the same online marketplace, this verification layer has become indispensable.
On European marketplaces, GTINs underpin almost everything:
European marketplace operators increasingly validate EANs against GS1 databases. Incorrect codes, non-GS1 codes, or codes that belong to other companies often result in listing blocks or compliance errors. This is especially relevant on Amazon EU, where GTIN-to-brand alignment is checked automatically.
The message is simple: in Europe, product identity begins with the EAN. Everything else builds on top of it.
To understand why GTIN ownership matters so much, brands need to understand the difference between two catalogue models used in global and European marketplaces.
Most European marketplaces today operate on a product-driven structure. In this model, the marketplace maintains one central product entry for each unique EAN. Multiple sellers simply attach offers—price, stock, shipping time—to that existing product.
This structure has several consequences:
On Amazon EU, the EAN becomes an ASIN (Amazon’s internal identifier). Amazon checks GTINs against GS1 records; mismatches trigger warnings or block listings. On bol.com, each EAN corresponds to one central product page. The platform enforces this strictly—ifa brand attempts to upload conflicting content under the same EAN, the system rejects it immediately.
In both cases, product-driven logic makes GTIN ownership the gatekeeper to catalogue authority.
Historically, marketplaces like eBay allowed each seller to create their own listing, regardless of product identity. This led to thousands of duplicated listings for identical products. The result was poor customer experience, lack of standardized information, and fragmentation of reviews.
Even eBay EU is transitioning toward structured product catalogues that rely on GTINs. The entire e-commerce industry is moving toward structured, product-centric catalogues, because this improves search quality, conversion, and cross-border consistency.
For brands operating in the EU, the product-driven model dominates. This has a direct implication: the entity that controls the EAN controls the product catalogue.
Without GTIN ownership, a brand can not reliably manage:
In Europe—with its multi-market environment—this consistency is crucial. A mistake made in one country easily spreads to others, and fixing it afterwards can be time-consuming and costly.
Many brands underestimate the long-term impact of GTIN ownership. In reality, owning (and correctly managing) EAN codes has become as important as owning a trademark. The EAN is part of the product’s identity, both legally and digitally.
Marketplaces in Europe increasingly verify GTINs through GS1 databases. If a seller uploads a GTIN that does not belong tot heir company, or if the brand name does not match GS1 records, the platform may block the listing until proof of ownership is provided.
This verification protects customers and brands, but it also means that companies using cheap, unofficial barcodes quickly run into compliance barriers.
For product-driven platforms, content control is granted only when EAN ownership is verified. Brands with valid GS1GTINs can update:
When the GTIN belongs to another company, or is reused incorrectly, marketplaces often refuse content change requests—even when the brand is right.
A central consequence of product-driven catalogues is that reviews are tied to GTINs. When the GTIN is clean and accurate, all reviews belong to the correct product. But when invalid or reused GTINs enter the system, reviews from different products merge.
This is damaging for brands because:
For performance-driven marketplaces like Amazon and bol.com, review accuracy is directly correlated with conversion rates. Clean GTIN structures directly support better review integrity.
The European market requires consistent product identity across at least 27 countries, often in multiple languages. Aproduct with the same GTIN can be recognised consistently not only acrossAmazon markets (DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, PL, SE), but also on platforms such asAllegro, bol.com, Kaufland, Telemart, Fonq, and others.
Without consistent GTIN data, cross-border scaling becomes chaotic.
Most European marketplaces accept and prefer the following GTIN formats:
Because most EU marketplaces share a unified view on GS1 standards, incorrect or recycled GTINs cause issues across several countries at once.
Some sellers rely on GTIN exemptions, but this approach is short-term and creates limitations in content ownership, catalogue consistency, and brand protection. Correct GS1 GTINs remain the long-term solution.
Many brands unknowingly create long-term issues by taking shortcuts in GTIN management. The most problematic errors include:
Using cheap, non-GS1 barcodes.
These codes often trigger immediate listing blocks or conflict with existing product pages.
They are not suitable for long-term marketplace use.
Reusing EANs for updated products.
GS1 guidelines explicitly prohibit reuse.
Marketplaces treat reused GTINs as catalogue pollution.
Using one GTIN for multiple packaging levels.
A single-unit product, a 3-pack, and a bundle require different identifiers.
Lack of internal GTIN management policy.
Brands often grow faster than their internal processes.
Without structure, inconsistencies spread across markets, distributors, and channel partners.
These mistakes take minutes to make but months to clean up.
In Europe, where many consumers depend on reviews to make purchase decisions, aggregated review quality is critical. Marketplaces merge reviews based on GTINs, meaning:
When reviews from multiple countries merge(e.g., Amazon DE + Amazon FR), a correct GTIN ensures consistency. An incorrect one amplifies errors.
Brands with correct GTIN ownership gain stronger content authority.
This allows them to maintain:
When GTINs are incorrect, content updates become a negotiation—often unsuccessful.
EANs are not just numbers. They form the backbone of catalogue, logistics, and data consistency. As brands grow across Europe, GTIN management needs to follow structured rules.
This includes:
Brands that manage this well have significantly fewer listing issues, fewer support tickets, and much cleaner catalogue presence.
Across Europe, marketplace growth relies on accurate, structured and verifiable product identity. The strongest brands understand that controlling the EAN means controlling the product catalogue, content, and customer experience. GTIN ownership has become a strategic pillar—not a technical afterthought.
Brands that rely on correct GS1-issued EANs gain:
When the EAN is correct, everything in the marketplace ecosystem aligns. When it is not, everything becomes harder—from content updates to cross-border expansion, from brand protection to customer trust.
In Europe’s product-driven marketplace environment, owning your GTINs means owning your marketplace future.
Operator One is a European Merchant of Record and marketplace operator supporting brands across all major EU platforms, including but not only, Amazon, bol.com, Kaufland, Allegro, Decathlon, and Leroy Merlin. We manage more than 10,000 active SKUs for over 50brands, ensuring operational excellence in catalogue management, international expansion, marketplace compliance, and cross-border fulfilment.
Operator One is an official GS1 partner, helping brands correctly structure and implement GTIN/EAN management to ensure catalogue consistency across Europe.
Author:
Ondrej Hradec
CEO, Operator One B.V.
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