In the latest addition to post-Brexit changes, the government has decided to retain the EU’s product safety mark, due to costs and rising pressure from industry and manufacturers.
The retention of the EU’s CE mark is the latest in a long line of announcements and postponements regarding post-Brexit rules.
The CE (Conformité Européenne) symbol is used by the bloc to certify that products meet safety standards. Items include machinery, construction materials, measuring instruments, medical devices, and toys – to name a few.
The CE safety mark was meant to be replaced by a UK version. The symbol UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) had been expected to mark goods sold in Britain from the end of 2024.
However, the UKCA mark would not have been recognised by the bloc, so would have only been required for goods sold within Britain.
UK businesses have questioned the need for a UKCA safety mark. They have been worried about rising costs caused by the stubbornly high inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic, believing this would add significant costs to production and also duplicate EU product standards.
The chief executive of the trade body for representing manufacturers, Stephen Phipson, has said the government has made a “pragmatic and common sense decision” manufacturers would welcome.
Mr Phipson said: “The announcement will help safeguard the competitiveness of manufacturers and aid the UK as a destination for investment. It should bring more confidence about doing business in the UK and recognises the need to work with the reality of doing business.”
Smaller businesses have also been worried about the cost of adapting to new UKCA requirements.
Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses said sticking to CE-marked products would “allow time for small firms to adjust to the UKCA marking system and focus on growing their business both at home and overseas”.
The Department for Business and Trade had described the move as a “key ask from businesses” that would “ease burdens and boost growth for the UK economy”.
Ministers said this decision has prevented a cliff-edge in December 2024 when the UKCA mark was meant to be introduced.
Government officials had previously argued the UK’s safety mark would allow the UK to control its good regulations while maintaining high safety standards.
But now, companies will be able to choose whether to use either the UKCA or the CE mark when only selling their products in Great Britain.
