Introduction of UKCA marking scheme delayed

The introduction of the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking scheme has been pushed back by a further two years by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), in a move that will allow CE-marked (EU standard) products to continue to be sold in Great Britain until 31 December 2024. 

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) understands a statement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) is expected imminently to confirm a further two‐year delay for manufacturers of construction products to transition to the new UKCA marking. 

From 1 January 2025, products will be required to carry the UKCA mark if they are to be sold into the market in England, Scotland and Wales (GB). For products to be sold in Northern Ireland, CE marking will continue to be recognised, owing to the Northern Ireland Protocol implemented following the UK’s exit from the European Union.  

Any UK-based companies wishing to export to the European single market will still need a CE mark on products, as the UKCA mark is not at this time recognised by the EU. The change does not affect those manufacturers that have already made, or plan very soon to make, the switch to the UKCA mark as the basis for placing machinery on the GB market. The UKCA mark will remain a valid conformity marking in Great Britain.  

Manufacturers planning to apply the UKCA mark on the basis of a conformity assessment conducted by an EU-recognised notified body will now have until 31 December 2024 to obtain the relevant certificates from their EU-based notified body, rather than 31 December 2022. These certificates will remain valid until 31 December 2027 or until the certificate expires, whichever is soonest.           

Brian Parker, IPAF’s Head of Safety & Technical, comments: “We advise all IPAF members of this further extension of the deadline for switching to the UKCA marking system in Great Britain. Those already mid-transition are largely unaffected, but this does allow an extra two years for the industry as a whole to make the switch. We recommend members to review the full guidance on the transition to UKCA marking, which is currently available on the BEIS website; anyone with any specific query that IPAF may be able to assist with, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.”    

● To find out more about the transition to UKCA marking, the official BEIS guidance may be found here www.gov.uk/guidance/ukca-marking-conformity-assessment-and-documentation; visit www.ipaf.org/contact for details of your nearest IPAF office or representative.