UKCA: UK will continue to recognise the CE marking for 2 years (GEN – 1437.00)
GEN – 1437.00. The United Kingdom Government will continue to recognise the CE product marking in Great Britain for a further 2 years, allowing business to use either UKCA or CE markings.
A recent press release from the UK Government states that “given the difficult economic conditions created by post-pandemic shifts in demand and supply, alongside the war in Ukraine and the associated high energy prices, the UK government does not want to burden business with the requirement to meet the original (31 December 2022) deadline.
The government will continue to recognise the CE marking for 2 years, therefore allowing businesses until 31 December 2024 to prepare for the UKCA marking. Businesses can also use the UKCA marking, giving them flexibility to choose which marking to apply.”
To support manufacturers, the UK government is also reviewing the wider product safety framework, to minimise the burdens on business while keeping the system up to date with new innovative methods such as e-labelling.
There will be different rules for medical devices, construction products, cableways, transportable pressure equipment, unmanned aircraft systems, rail products, and marine equipment. Government departments responsible for these sectors are making sector specific arrangements.
To reduce labelling costs, businesses will be allowed to affix the UKCA marking and include importer information for products from EEA countries on an accompanying document or label until 31 December 2027. Also, conformity assessment activities for CE marking undertaken by 31 December 2024 will be allowed to be used by manufacturers as the basis for the UKCA marking, until 31 December 2027.
To extend the deadline, the government has recently (14 November 2022) laid secondary legislation before Parliament which, subject to parliamentary approval, will implement these measures.
Recommended actions
Interested Members are recommended to follow the legislative process until the extension will be legally officialised.
Related documents and links
All related documents and articles can be found in the respective sections in the right sidebar.
- GEN – 1396.00 – Update UKCA
- GEN – 1335.00 – UKCA and CE marking
- GEN – 1309.00 – Update UKCA
- GEN – 1309.02 – UK ErP framework (103 pages) or link
- GEN – 1309.01 – UKCA implementation guidance November 2021 (13 pages) or link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-market-in-great-britain#further-guidance
- GEN – 1290.00 – Update on UKCA
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/businesses-to-be-given-uk-product-marking-flexibility
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-related-products-policy-framework