We reported on the new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessment) requirements and held a drop-in session on the topic back in February, when the requirements were that the marking needed to be used after 31st December 2022. After this point CE marking alone would have become insufficient to be able to place a product on the market in the UK. The UKCA mark is already in use by some manufacturers, but it’s the kind of change that can take time to filter through.
Economic and supply chain issues run through every industry including MI, and we’re pleased to report the UK Government is recognising these challenges to help ease the burden.
BEIS is making the first step by proposing legislation to further extend recognition of CE markings alone until 31st December 2024. This applies to any product certified and placed on the UK market using CE regulations before this deadline. It then allows the product to be sold on the UK market without the UKCA approval and marking until either 31st December 2027 or the expiry of the CE certification for that product if it occurs earlier. This reduces the potential burden of re-labelling or adding additional documents to stock in the immediate future.
From 2027 ALL applicable products being placed on the UK market must meet UKCA criteria and have the marking clearly display on the product itself.
If you look at the underside of your laptop you will see the CE mark placed directly on it, and this is how the UKCA mark will need to be placed on your electronic and digital products from the 2027 deadline onwards. You can, of course, gain certification and display the UKCA mark on your products any time before then, and for products sold in our industry there are forms for self-certification. Why not get things moving now, if you haven’t already? This will help you avoid any certification expiries between now and December 20207 passing you by.
As the UKCA mark (one of the results of Brexit) is not recognised in the EU, products placed on the market there are still required to display the CE mark as well. Dual labelling with both the UKCA and CE marks is fully accepted by both territories so long as neither obscures the other – see the below example taken from the box for a new DELL laptop.
The CE and UKCA standards are not wildly different in their requirements but as there are some differences it’s advisable to check. This is primarily going to apply to electronic and digital instruments and equipment in our industry, and you can check the statutory guidance on the regulations here (let Matt know if it would be useful for this to be broken down further).
It’s crucial to understand that the importer is held accountable for fulfilling this legislation. This may be either the manufacturer importing through their own UK subsidiary (in which case the UKCA requirements are in addition to applicable pre-existing legislation), or a distributor.
The above summarises the current position and requirements, but if you have any questions at all, please reach out to Matt who will be more than happy to help.
