EEA-wide or country-specific PCN: Which one should you choose?

This is one of the most common questions we hear.

Should I submit one PCN for all countries at once, or should I go country by country?

The answer depends on your business model, your setup in the EU, and how much control you want.

Let’s break down both options. 

What is an EEA-wide PCN?

It’s one notification that covers all European Economic Area countries you select.

You submit it once through the ECHA Submission Portal. That’s it. All included countries are covered.

This approach works well if:

• You have an EU,Northern Ireland or EEA-based legal entity
• Your product is distributed across multiple countries
• You want to keep things consistent everywhere

Advantages

• You only submit once, which saves time
• It’s often cheaper than submitting separately for every country
• The same UFI and data are valid in all covered markets

Drawbacks

• You need a valid legal presence in the EU, EEA, or Northern Ireland
• Some countries might have extra local rules to meet
• Any change to your product means updating the PCN for all countries at once

What is a country-specific PCN?

Instead of one big submission, you file separate PCNs for each country where the product is sold.

This gives you more flexibility, especially if you grow step by step.

Advantages

• Your local importer or distributor can submit the PCN, even if you don’t have an EU entity
• You can add countries one at a time, based on your sales rollout
• If something changes, you only update the countries where it matters

Drawbacks

• Submitting multiple PCNs takes more time and effort
• Each submission might come with its own cost
• There’s a higher risk of inconsistencies between countries

So, which option is right for you?

It depends.

If you have an EU-based legal entity and sell in several countries, EEA-wide is likely more efficient.

If you’re working through local importers or are just starting in the market, country-specific may be safer and more flexible.

If you’re outside the EU altogether, your best option is usually a voluntary PCN combined with country-specific submissions from your importers. 

Final thought

The smart choice is the one that fits how your business operates today, and how you plan to grow tomorrow.

In the next article, we’ll answer the question we hear all the time:

Can one UFI cover all EEA countries?

Short answer: it depends.

Longer answer coming soon.