CE Mark on the UK market - indefinite extension of the transition period

The UK Government has recently passed a specific legislation, which allows EU requirements, including CE marking, to continue to be recognised indefinitely for a range of product regulations when placing products on the UK market.

In line with the UK Government’s announcement on 24 January 2024 about extended recognition of CE marking for products intended for the GB market, the Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2024 were made on 23 May 2024 and came into force on 1 October 2024.

These regulations extend recognition of CE marking indefinitely in GB. This allows businesses to use either CE or UKCA markings when placing goods on the GB market beyond 31 December 2024.

CE-marked products

Currently the law provides that certain products that meet EU requirements, including CE marking, can be placed on the GB market until 31 December 2024. The government has laid legislation to continue this recognition of goods that meet current EU requirements beyond 31 December 2024.

If you are following European harmonised standards to demonstrate that your product meets the EU essential requirements in the relevant EU legislation, and you want to place that product on the GB market, you should also note the following:

• Where UK law allows for a product to meet the EU essential requirements, there is no specific reference to harmonised standards giving rise to a ‘presumption of conformity’ with the essential requirements; however, where both EU harmonised standards and UK designated standards remain aligned, manufacturers may still rely on the harmonised standard to demonstrate they have met the relevant EU essential requirements to place a product on the GB market
• In a small number of cases where there is a difference between designated standards and European harmonised standards, the conformity assessment procedures that need to be complied with before the CE-marked product can be placed on the GB market may be affected
• If a designated standard has a restriction that the equivalent European harmonised standard used does not, you may need to take additional steps to bring that product into compliance with the safety requirements before placing the product on the GB market

13.2.2025: Michal Dvořáček