The government has extended the period in which CE product markings will be accepted until 1 January 2023 and has provided updated guidance on CE and UKCA markings. The previous date for transition to UKCA marks was 1 January 2022.
What are CE markings?
Many construction products will have the CE mark inserted onto them. This mark shows that the manufacturer has checked the product meets EU safety, health or environmental requirements. These requirements are contained in the EU Construction Product Regulations 2011. The manufacturer places the CE mark on the product as a declaration that the product meets the EU requirements. CE marks are required on a variety of construction products, such as lifts and fire doors.
What are CE markings being replaced with?
As the UK has left the EU, the CE mark is being replaced by UKCA mark (UK Conformity Assessment). For goods to be placed on the Northern Ireland market the relevant mark will be UK(NI) mark.
When are CE markings being replaced and what is the updated guidance?
The government has recently extended the period in which it would continue to accept CE markings for goods placed on the market of Great Britain until 1 January 2023.
The updated timeline is:
- Until 31 December 2022 construction products placed on the GB market can either have UKCA or CE marks on them.
- If the construction product is placed on the GB market on or after 1 January 2023 it must have the UKCA mark.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) updated its guidance on 24 August 2021. The BEIS guidance explains a good is "placed on the market" when there is an agreement to transfer ownership or possession of the property rights in the product. A "good" means each individual good, not type of good. For example, the good has been sold by a sub-contractor and the sub-contractor is waiting to install the product.
On 24 August 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) published updated advice on these markings. The MHCLG guidance notes that goods marked with the CE mark and placed on the GB market before 1 January 2023 can continue to circulate and do not need a UKCA mark.
The MHCLG guidance also encourages businesses to prepare for the end of the recognition of the CE mark in the UK, by using the UKCA mark as soon as possible in advance of the deadline.
What can construction businesses and manufacturers do now?
Businesses should start preparing for the change now. The delay acknowledges that the construction industry was not prepared and many products require retesting.
Where possible, goods should be retested now so that the UKCA mark can be inserted well before the deadline.