Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they made before announcing the decision to continue recognition of the EU's CE mark for many UK companies, replacing plans for the mandatory introduction of the UK Conformity Assessment in 2024.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s engagement with businesses and organisations in the UK and internationally informed the decision to continue CE recognition of goods on the UK market for regulations owned by the Department for Business and Trade.
The government continues to engage with industry, both domestically and internationally. Businesses and trade associations repeatedly expressed significant concerns with the duplicative costs for placing goods on EU and UK markets, and the lack of business-readiness for compliance with mandatory UK Conformity Assessment, which potentially may have resulted in product shortages in GB or increased costs to GB consumers. Extending CE recognition will help in mitigating these challenges.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether post-Brexit arrangements include recognition by the EU of UK testing facilities for conformity assessment of products; and why some UK firms now need to seek approval from the EU for goods destined only for the UK market.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
For most products being placed on the market in Great Britain (GB), products can comply with either GB or EU product regulations. UK Conformity Assessment Bodies can continue to certify goods for the UK market.
The EU does not recognise UK testing facilities for conformity assessment of products. Nevertheless, the UK is committed to exploring available avenues that could facilitate acceptance of EU-UK conformity assessment results and support British businesses.