No-deal Brexit could increase red tape

The Government has stipulated a new ‘UKCA’ mark to replace the European Union’s CE safety mark in the event of a hard Brexit.

Currently a large number of products manufactured or distributed in the UK and the rest of the EU are required to carry the CE mark; this shows they meet EU legal requirements.

Post a no-deal Brexit, ParcelHero says the UKCA logo will need to be displayed on many items sold in the UK, and that British manufactured products will still need to be CE approved for sale in the EU.

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks MILT, says: “It gets worse. As well as new products being required to meet UKCA regulations, after 29 March 2019 the results of conformity assessment test carried out by UK conformity assessment bodies will no longer be recognised in the EU. UKCA passed products won’t be able to be placed on the EU market without re-assessment by EU bodies. The very idea that British-made goods may have to meet two sets of safety regulations is clearly a huge black mark against no deal Brexit plans.

“In its latest guidance the Government is saying post a no-deal Brexit some CE marked products will still be legally recognised in the UK, but if a product requires third party assessment of conformity, and if this has been carried out by a UK conformity assessment body, you will have to apply the new UKCA marking after 29 March 2019.”

Cautions David: “Brexiteers campaigned on a platform of less red tape and significant cost savings. Instead, UK manufacturers and exporters are facing product changes and ballooning red tape as EU and UK safety regulations start to separate.”