Confirmed: UKCA deadline extended to 1st January 2023

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced on 24th August 2021, that the deadline for businesses to transition to UK conformity assessment marking (UKCA) will be extended to 1st January 2023.

Initially conveyed through Government guidance, this extension has now been confirmed in law through The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2021. This legislation also makes technical changes and amendments to allow relevant product safety legislation to work as intended.

In our September 2021 Health and Safety Newsletter, we provided a summary of the main changes between CE and UKCA marking. We also let you know that the UK Government and HSE websites have confirmed the deadline extension, allowing CE marked goods to continue to be placed on the market until 31st December 2022.

The extension of the transition period by one year provides additional time for businesses to comply with the new regime in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland).

As Coronavirus (COVID-19) has without a doubt, affected many businesses and hindered their ability to transition to the UKCA marking, this extension may help to mitigate against further potential disruption to the supply of certain goods in Great Britain.

Here is a reminder of the key changes to CE / UKCA marking rules

• Goods first placed on the market in Great Britain after 1st January 2021 can either be CE marked or UKCA marked.
• The relevant Product Safety Regulations now state that goods first placed on the market in Great Britain after 1st January 2023 must be UKCA marked.
• The requirements in Northern Ireland are different. CE marking continues to be required in Northern Ireland, and there is (currently) no deadline to phase out its use.

All relevant legislation summaries will be amended in line with these recent legislative changes.

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