The UK Government made a major announcement this week regarding the transition to the UK marking ahead of the ending of recognition of CE marking on 31 December 2022.
The change will allow manufacturers with existing type tests from EU notified bodies under AVCP System 3, where the product was tested by 31 December 2022, to affix the UK mark to their products, and to continue to supply them to the GB market without needing to be retested.
After two years of working on this issue and bringing its impact to the attention of Government and industry, the CPA welcomes the announcement.
There will be many members and others across the products sector and UK construction welcoming this move as it helps to keep products flowing while the industry wrestles with many other significant challenges.
It is important to recognise, however, that there are still a number of significant questions that need to be worked through, such as the persistent shortfall in the capacity of the UK certification and testing sector; ensuring that investment and innovation continue to be attracted into the UK; and a range of urgent and detailed technical matters. The CPA will be pressing for further clarity on a number of issues in particular:
- What is the position of construction products placed on the market after the deadline? If UK testing and certification does not exist will they still be blocked from the market?
- How will the UK testing and certification sector be encouraged to fill the gaps in capacity?
- Will specialist product areas be allowed to use facilities outside the UK? (We suggest this is needed to ensure products being brought onto the UK market from outside the UK can be certified and tested without delay.
- In addition, there are still a significant number of standards to pass through the system, some critical to the industry.
- Finally, the position in regard to EOTA data and formal confirmation of its use in the UK needs to be confirmed.
