New Brexit extension for CE marked Construction Products
Following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31st December 2020, the UK Government announced a one-year transition for CE marked construction products to be placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Once this period was over, goods which were CE marked would need to have a UKCA mark, and where necessary, approvals from a UK Approved Body. In August 2021 this was extended by a year, with the deadline set to the end of 2022.
December 2022 CE marking extension for Construction Products
The UK government have just announced a further 2.5-year extension for the transition of CE to UKCA marking. The intention is to end the recognition of CE marking on 30th June 2025. The updated UK government guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/construction-products-regulation-in-great-britain
Placing construction products on the GB market
CE marked construction products can be placed on the GB market until 30th June 2025. The products must be properly CE marked, with valid EU notified body CE certification or an EU notified laboratory initial type-test, and supplied with an EU Declaration of Performance. Once placed on the GB market, CE marked construction products can continue to circulate (known as ‘making available’) after 30th June 2025.
From 1st July 2025, all construction products placed on the GB market must be UKCA marked, with certification from a UK approved body or testing from a UK approved laboratory where necessary.
What effect does this have on Shirley® and our clients?
Shirley Technologies (Europe) Limited trading as Shirley® are EU notified body number 2895. Our certification for System 1 and System 2+ to the Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 allows our clients to place the CE mark on their construction products.
The CE mark enables manufacturers to place product on the market in the European Union, and also Northern Ireland. With this extension, our clients can now place CE marked products onto the Great Britain market until the end of June 2025.
Our sister company based in the UK, Shirley Technologies Limited trading as BTTG®, became UK Approved Body number 0338 on 1st January 2021, and offer UKCA approval for the UK Construction Products Regulations. Clients who want to dual-mark their products with CE and UKCA can apply for certification from BTTG®. Clients who want to use their CE mark for Great Britain will need to have UKCA certification in place by July 2025.
For System 1 and System 2+ construction products where a Factory Production Control (FPC) audit is required, our auditors can cover both CE and UKCA requirements during one visit, to support CE certification from Shirley® and UKCA certification from BTTG®.
System 3 products - CE and UKCA
In June 2022 a new ‘easement’ was announced by the UK Government, to allow System 3 construction products to be UKCA marked with a valid EU notified laboratory test report (Initial Type Test) issued before 31st December 2022.
The new UK Government guidance does not mention this easement. The UK Government department responsible for Construction Products legislation, The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), have confirmed that the easement will not be introduced.
System 3 products with an EU notified laboratory test report can only be CE marked. They can be placed on the GB market until 31st June 2025 with the CE mark and a valid EU Declaration of Performance. From July 2025, System 3 construction products placed on the GB market must be UKCA marked, and will need an Initial Type Test from a former UK notified laboratory or a new Initial Type Test from a UK approved laboratory.
Placing product on the market in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has different rules to Great Britain (the mainland UK). From 1st January 2021, products can be placed on the Northern Ireland market with either the CE mark, using CE certification from an EU notified body such as Shirley®, or with CE+UKNI marking using certification from a UK Notified Body, such as BTTG®. The UK Government guidance for Northern Ireland is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/construction-products-regulation-in-northern-ireland
If you have any questions regarding CE marking construction products, please contact our certification team at certification@shirley.ie