UK businesses given two years to apply UKCA product marking

The British government has announced it will continue to recognise the Conformitè Europëenne, or ‘CE’, product safety marking in the country for a further two years, until 31 December 2024. This extension aims to mitigate potential disruption and will allow businesses to use either the new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark or the old CE mark. It is the third extension to the transition, which had an original deadline at the end of 2020.

The UKCA marking, introduced for safety standard management of British products following Brexit, applies to most products for which the CE marking could be used. It shows that products placed on the market in Great Britain comply with product safety regulations.

“The UKCA regime remains an important mechanism for product safety in the UK and UKAS welcomes the clarity that the BEIS (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) announcement has given.”

Rob Bettinson, Technical, Quality and Risk Director at the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)

The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine were both cited as reasons for the delay, given the shifts in demand and supply and high energy prices. Speaking about the new deadline, UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Grant Shapps, said: “The government is determined to remove barriers to businesses so they can get on with their top priorities, like providing quality customer service, enabling growth and supporting their staff.”

“This move will give businesses the breathing space and flexibility they need at this crucial time and ensure that our future system for product safety marking is fit for purpose, providing the highest standard for consumers without harming businesses.”

Sector-specific arrangements are also being made by government departments as there will be different rules for medical devices, construction products, cableways, transportable pressure equipment, unmanned aircraft systems, rail products, and marine equipment. Rob Bettinson, the Technical, Quality and Risk Director at the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) commented, “The UKCA regime remains an important mechanism for product safety in the UK and UKAS welcomes the clarity that the BEIS (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) announcement has given.”

Products from EEA countries can be labelled with the UKCA marking, with importer information listed on an accompanying document or label until 31 December 2027. A review of the ‘wider product safety framework’ is also ongoing, with new methods being considered such as e-labelling.