The changes will give companies the option of using either the CE marking or the new UKCA, marking which came into effect at the end of 2020. The government also announced relaxed timescales, with products conformity assessed under CE by the end of 2024 now valid in the UK market until the certification expiry or the end of 2024 (whichever comes first). There were also further delays to labelling provisions for UKCA marking, importer information and responsible persons’ information until the end of 2027.
The CBI had been calling for a delay to the roll-out of the UKCA marking to give businesses further time to prepare for the changes. Businesses of all sizes have been working hard to prepare, although there have been concerns about government capacity for enforcement. Some businesses are understandably frustrated having spent time and money preparing for the UKCA marking. It is crucial that the government works alongside industry to ensure there is effective enforcement for product safety and fair competition.
In the long-term, the government should consider optional e-labelling for consumer goods. This would mean marking products with more compliance information onscreen for products with screens or give a link to more information for those without one. Adopting optional e-labelling could reduce the cost of compliance with regulation for business and demonstrate how technology can be used to make regulation smarter.
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