Just a reminder and update for anyone manufacturing importing/exporting or distributing in UK & EU
Extra time for product conformity marking
Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) has had a new domestic goods regulation regime in place since 1 January 2021, with a new product marking: the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking.
The UKCA marking is used for manufactured goods placed on the market in Great Britain, and covers most cases where the CE marking would have been used previously. To give businesses time to make the necessary changes, there is a temporary concession allowing the CE marking to continue to be used in many cases. This was due to expire on 31 December 2021. It should be noted that the CE marking is only valid in Great Britain for areas where rules are the same as those in the EU. Should EU rules change, the UKCA marking might need to be adopted earlier.
The government, however, has recently announced that it will not now mandate use of the UKCA marking until 1 January 2023 – though it encourages its adoption as soon as possible.
There may be steps you need to take to make sure products are compliant in order to continue selling them in Great Britain from 1 January 2023. If, for example, your business manufactures, imports or distributes goods that need to be tested by a conformity assessment body, you need to factor in the time for the testing process to be sure you will be ready on time.
Sales in the EU.
Products for sale in the EU need a CE marking. The new UKCA marking is not recognised there.
Northern Ireland.
There are different rules for product conformity marking that apply to Northern Ireland.
Navigating the rules for imports and exports needs considerable care, and it is essential to be up to date with the latest timetabling.
I have recently seen collaborators, clients/potential clients & end users starting to ask for UKCA marked devices or, where not yet available, asking for the roadmap/timescales for when this will be available. Personally I would welcome updates from manufacturers with current planned availability - PM me if details still commercially sensitive - so can I/we factor into my/our own offerings to TTN Communities and beyond.
NOTE: IANAL! Seek your own advice wrt compliance and legal position 