Indefinite retention of CE mark a welcome boost for business 

THE Government has announced that the CE safety mark can be used indefinitely in the UK.

Commenting on the announcement, Head of Trade Policy, William Bain said:  “Businesses will breathe a sigh of relief that the Government has decided to take a pragmatic approach to the safety marking of products sold in Great Britain. 

 “With inflation still high and interest rates continuing to rise, this announcement will bring some welcome respite. There would be significant costs involved in removing the usage of the CE mark, even for just the UK internal market.  

 “BCC research carried out in 2021 found that only 8% of business were in favour of getting rid of the current EU marking system, called CE, by the start of 2023, and 59% of businesses, affected by the decision, wanted to keep it.  

   “They saw strong benefits in retaining the most recognised system for testing and marking of industrial and electrical goods for business. Having to use two marking systems, one for in the UK and one for the EU market, would have also led to limited choice for customers if firms decided not to do both.  

 “This outcome means businesses will be able to decide which system to use, or both. This will also help businesses in Northern Ireland and Great Britain in terms of the operation of the Windsor Framework.  

  “The BCC strongly made the case for continued use of CE marking to Government for more than two years. It is a relief to see the strong voice of businesses across the UK being acted upon.  

 “Now we must develop processes for regulatory co-operation between the EU and UK, so that businesses can avoid any unnecessary cliff-edges on the introduction of future regulations affecting UK-EU trade in goods.”  

The Chamber's International Trade Manager, Lorraine Holt, said: "Given the UK has not yet diverged from EU standards for manufactured goods, this move is sensible and will be welcomed by manufacturers all over the country.

“For many businesses, getting the new UKCA mark – in addition to the CE mark if they trade with the EU – would have been a laborious process involving conformity assessments and re-labelling their products. Those companies that have already applied the UKCA mark can continue to do so or choose to apply the CE mark, therefore giving them greater flexibility and choice.

“The decision to allow businesses to continue using the CE mark within the UK will save businesses time and money, which is definitely welcome during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.”