The UKCA marking (United Kingdom Conformity Assessed) is the new United Kingdom product marking, used for goods placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), which replaces the CE marking after the United Kingdom leaves European Union.
The UKCA marking is required on most products, the same ones that previously required CE marking. However, the UKCA marking alone cannot be used for goods placed on the Northern Ireland market, which requires CE or UKNI marking instead.
When was the UKCA marking introduced?
The UKCA marking officially went into effect on 1 January 2021, however, to allow companies to adapt to the new requirements, it will still be possible to use the CE marking in most cases until 1 January 2023, but only in Great Britain and for areas where UK and EU regulations are the same. Otherwise, the products cannot be placed on the market, even before 31 December 2022, as long as they do not have the UKCA.
In any case, starting from 1 January 2023, the CE marking alone will no longer be recognized in Great Britain, but must also be accompanied by the UKCA marking and the product declared compliant with the relevant British standards.
The technical requirements
The technical requirements (Technical File) and assessment standards that must be met to demonstrate UKCA compliance are largely the same as for the CE marking, as well as the self-declaration of conformity system.
The UK, while adopting the same EU directives and standards, has however changed its name. Therefore, in the case of the UKCA marking, the contents remain unchanged but the reference names of the directives and related harmonized standards valid for the CE marking change. It follows that the UKCA declarations of conformity will have to be rewritten, indicating the references to the UK directives and standards instead of those mentioned in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Fandis products with the UKCA marking
As regards the main Fandis products, the reference legislative areas for compliance with the UKCA marking are:
- The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 – UK SI 2016 No. 1101, which corresponds to the European Directive 2014/35/EU (Low Voltage);
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016 – UK SI 2016 No. 1091, which corresponds to the European Directive 2014/30/EU (Electromagnetic Compatibility);
- The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 – UK SI 2008 No. 1597, which corresponds to the European Directive 2006/42/EC (Machinery Directive);
- Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012 – UK SI 2012 No. 3032, which corresponds to the European Directive 2015/863/CE
Fandis is already operational with regard to the introduction phase of the new UKCA marking and we plan to start the process immediately, in order to anticipate the final deadlines imposed by the United Kingdom. Fandis products will continue to be sold in the EU as well, so when the introduction to the new brand is completed, both the CE and UKCA markings will be displayed on Fandis products.
For other articles on our products on enclosures, heating, cooling or of a general nature, we invite you to consult our blog, or visit us on fandis.com.
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