Deadline extended for businesses to apply post-Brexit product safety marking

The government has extended the deadline for businesses to begin using new product safety marking, due to the additional pressures on organisations arising from the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking will replace the European CE mark that is required across a range of products to indicate that they conform with product safety standards. While the scheme has been valid since the beginning of 2021, businesses will now have an additional year to apply the scheme, with the deadline extended to 1st January 2023. Medical devices businesses will have until 1st July 2023.

The extension follows ongoing engagement between business groups and government over implementation of the new scheme that comes as part of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. The CE mark will continue to remain valid for products in Northern Ireland, and the UKNI marking will apply for UK manufactured goods sold across the Irish Sea.

Businesses must take action to ensure they are ready to apply UKCA marking by 1 January 2023, the final deadline. The government will continue to engage with manufacturers and host a series of webinars to ensure businesses remain compliant with product safety rules. Businesses can sign up to upcoming webinars on new regulations here.

The government has published the?UK Market Conformity Assessment Bodies?database?which businesses can use to identify the appropriate body to certify their?products, with details for labelling requirements for different products available here.