THE introduction of Britain’s new post-Brexit product safety labelling mark has been delayed for a year, the UK Government has announced.
The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking was due to replace Conformité Européenne (CE) marking on 1 January 2022 but that will now be extended to New Year’s Day 2023.
It follows ‘extensive’ engagement between business groups and the government, with issues caused by the pandemic being highlighted as one of the main reasons for the delay.
The Construction Leadership Council welcomed the delay. Andy Mitchell, co-chair of the organisation, said, “Given the widespread pressures on product supply, we welcome this pragmatic decision by the government to extend the deadline for CE-marked products”
“However even with this extension, it will still be very challenging to ensure that the whole sector is ready for the new date, given the need to drive major increases in testing capacity.
“It is vital that industry continues to work with the Government to address these issues, ensuring that we don’t just postpone the crisis by 12 months, but instead establish a robust testing and marking regime to ensure the continued safety and performance of the products that we use”.
Chief executive of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, James Talman, also praised the push back. He commented, “At a time when we are facing some of the worst material availability and inflation in living memory, this announcement will come as a welcome relief for manufacturers and merchants. We have been telling the government that the 1 January 2022 deadline was not feasible for some time, with many products simply unable to receive certification by the deadline. I am glad that the message has now got through. This extra time will provide much-needed breathing space for suppliers to undertake the necessary tests and acquire the correct paperwork.
“The government should now work with industry to ensure the supply chain is fully prepared for the new 2023 deadline, particularly smaller firms, so we do not face similar problems in the future.”
The UK Government said that businesses will now be required to ensure that they are ready to apply UKCA marking by 1 January 2023.
For more information on labelling requirements, click here.