The CE (Conformité Européenne) symbol is the main marking, which is the manufacturer’s declaration that the product meets the safety and quality requirements of the European Union. When the UK decided to leave the Community, it also abandoned the pan-European safety symbol and introduced its own, the UKCA (United Kingdom Conformity Assessment). To ensure a smooth transition, the UK government has decided to extend the effective date of this change, indicating an effective date of 1 January 2023.

Faster adaptation by EU exporters will allow business transactions with UK partners to continue smoothly. However, the postponement of the effective date of the change should not dull the exporters’ minds, as the change will entail the necessity to re-examine the production processes to make them compliant with the British legislation. It is worth remembering not to wait until the last minute.

BREXIT

With the arrival of 1 February 2020. The UK has withdrawn from the European Union, which has caused significant confusion regarding trade between EU countries and the islands. One of the main difficulties that BREXIT has brought is the need to adapt the labelling of some goods to UK requirements. This is because the system of standards and regulations relates directly to the national law of Great Britain, bypassing EU directives and regulations.

Thus, from 1 January 2023. Therefore, from 1 January 2023, companies wishing to continue marketing their goods in the UK will be required to carry the UKCA mark, as the CE mark will not be an official mark of safety and quality in the UK.

It should be remembered that the changes introduced apply to the countries of the main Island, i.e. England, Wales and Scotland. Thoroughly different rules will apply to Northern Ireland.

UKCA/CE

At the moment, we do not yet know the final regulations. We know today that the UK legislature plans to apply them to all products that are currently CE marked, including toys, electronics, electrical equipment, measuring devices, machinery, medical devices, construction and aerosol products, and many others.

As with CE marking, the UKCE mark will appear on the manufacture, packaging and, in some justified cases, the instruction manual. The transition period will last until the end of 2022, during which time the UK authorities will accept CE marking as an alternative to UKCA. It is important to note that EU member states will not accept the UKCA mark.

Where to look for support?

BREXIT confusion has caused many exporters to get lost in the maze of regulations, so we try to keep you informed about the most significant changes that directly affect our partners. We regularly publish tips and articles on our website, under the BREXIT tab, and our blog. To continually guarantee support, we will continue to publish relevant information next year.

There is no denying that BREXIT, with all the consequences it has brought to trade, continues to be a lively and dynamic topic. We can see this every day, so we constantly ensure that we develop our competencies and capacities. We are committed to operating in a modern and, above all, efficient way, which is why we are constantly working on ways to improve our day-to-day contacts with our partners and the quality of our services in the UK. We will keep you informed about the ongoing changes.

We encourage you to cooperate with us.