Deadline for CE mark phase-out extended
26 August 2021
The government has announced a 12 month extension to UK recognition of CE marking on products, giving manufacturers until 1 January 2023 to transition to the new post-EU UKCA mark.
The CE mark is a mandatory requirement for a vast array of products subject to EU health and safety regulations, from electrical equipment and toys to machinery and medical devices.
Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the CE mark is being phased out in Great Britain and replaced by a new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark. Regulatory requirements are largely similar, although manufacturers have to familiarise themselves with new processes.
Products placed on the EU market continue to require a CE mark, while separate rules have been put in place for Northern Ireland.
Under previous arrangements, all affected products placed on the market in England, Scotland and Wales were due to require a UKCA mark from 1 January 2022. However, the government has now extended the deadline by a further year for all sectors, apart from medical devices, to give businesses more time to prepare.
Business groups had been lobbying the government for an extension due to a lack of testing capacity for previously CE-marked products and the extraordinary circumstances businesses have had to deal with over the past year.
Fergus McReynolds, Director of EU Affairs and International Affairs at Make UK, said:
“This is a welcome move from government which will come as a huge relief to industry and is a vital lifeline to protect supply chains. Companies were becoming increasingly nervous as the clock ticked down to the end of the year, caught up in the delays and bureaucracy in getting their products tested. The extra year will provide both exporters and importers with valuable breathing space to enable a new testing system to bed in place.”
Make UK is due to host a webinar with government officials on the introduction of the UKCA mark on 20 September. To register, click here.