Major easements for UKCA just announced

20 Jun 2022

Thanks to the efforts of BEAMA and other trade associations, today BEIS announced major easements for UKCA marking.  This is an important change for our members. 

Government to make it simpler for businesses to apply new product safety markings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

These changes come following extensive lobbying from BEAMA and demonstrate Government’s acknowledgment of the key challenges for industry in adapting to the new UK goods regulatory regime, and their further support for industry

Measures to support businesses as they adapt to the UKCA regime announced today include:

  • reduce re-testing costs for UKCA certification, by allowing conformity assessment activities for CE marking completed by the 31 December 2022 to be used by manufacturers as the basis for applying a UKCA marking. This will reduce the immediate costs faced by manufacturers and will be valid until the expiry of their certificate or for 5 years (31 December 2027), whichever is sooner. This will reduce duplication and costs for businesses and by extension, consumers. 
  • make clear there is no need to re-test existing imported stock, as these products will be considered already placed on the market in Great Britain (GB). This will prevent the costly, and unnecessary re-labelling of existing stock for businesses. 
  • make clear that spare parts that repair, replace or maintain goods already on the GB market can meet the same requirements that were in place at the time the original product or system was placed on the GB market. This will allow products and goods requiring spare parts to continue to be maintained. 
  • continue to allow businesses to affix the UKCA marking, and to include importer information for products from EEA countries (and in some cases Switzerland), on an accompanying document or label until 31 December 2025. This will allow business to adjust their product design to accommodate marking changes at a convenient and cost-effective time.

Reference BEIS 20th June 2022