The UK government has added two extra years to the period during which it will recognise the European CE product marking in Great Britain. Businesses will be able to use UKCA or CE safety markings till the end of 2024 thanks to this extension.
As part of the UK's post-Brexit regulatory framework, the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking was implemented to guarantee that items complied with consumer protection safety requirements. At the end of 2022, CE marking recognition was supposed to stop.
This information will be of particular interest to online marketplace vendors who manufacture, source, and import goods from international markets, such as toys and electrical equipment, for sale in the UK and on European marketplaces.
The decision to expand the acceptance of CE product marketing was made, according to a statement made public, by Business Secretary Grant Shapps. These include the challenging economic conditions brought on by changes in supply and demand following the pandemic, as well as Putin's war in Ukraine and the resulting high energy costs.
Shapps said, “Businesses will be given an additional two years to apply new product safety marking, giving thousands of businesses the freedom to focus on growth.
“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.”
While many businesses that are having trouble complying with new regulations will welcome the extension, business commentators have also noted that even though current UK standards are still governed by EU law, getting the new certification is still a costly administrative process that duplicates existing rules.
From 31 December 2024, UK retailers placing products in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) will need to brand those products with the UKCA logo, although there are differing regulations in Northern Ireland because the UKCA mark is not yet recognised there.
Additionally, the UKCA product mark won't be accepted in the European Union, thus any goods sold there must still have the CE product mark.