In December 2022, the UK government announced continued recognition of the CE mark. During the extended transition period, the ATEX "Ex" and CE marks will continue to be accepted for the UK market. Thereafter, all manufacturers of goods headed to the UK must use the mandatory UKCA mark.
The UK government announced their intention to introduce legislation to extend recognition of CE marking to December 31, 2024 for equipment and protective systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (UKEX) and to June 30, 2025 for construction products .
When the transition is complete, the UKCA mark will replace the EU requirements for ATEX and CE marking and will indicate that a product meets the UKCA marking requirements. FM Approvals Ltd. (Maidenhead, UK) provides UKCA certification services as a UK Approved Body (1725) – designated by the UK Secretary of State by way of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
As an international leader in third-party testing and certification, FM Approvals provides manufacturers of property loss prevention products with access to;
- International markets (FM Approvals certification)
- European markets for CPR and ATEX products (CE certification)
- UK markets for UK CPR and UKEX products (UKCA certification)
- IECEx markets for equipment in explosive atmospheres (IECEx certification)
Products that are already CE certified by FM Approvals are positioned for an efficient UKCA certification process. Manufacturers of FM Approved products that have already been CE certified by another Notified Body can work with FM Approvals for the transition to UKCA marking. In general, this process does not require retesting providing there is sufficient evidence of performance conformity in the submitted reports.
FM Approvals will continue to monitor all development and any change. In the meantime, here are the UK Government's Guidance on Construction Products Regulation in Great Britain and the UK Draft Statutory for the Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022, for reference.
If you have any questions regarding existing certificates, upcoming transitions, or future proposals – contact your project manager or email europe@fmapprovals.com.