APA

Check Your Mark of Approval

APA Guidelines Check Your Mark of Approval

Check your-mark-of-approval

The decision on a product’s mark of approval depends on whether you are placing goods in EU countries, Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) or Northern Ireland.

For EU countries it is still the CE mark. The UK government will also allow wood-based panels carrying the CE mark to be accepted into GB until June 2025.  If manufacturers from outside the UK then wish to supply both EU and UK markets, they would need to display both the CE and UKCA marks – and have had their products independently assessed by two separate official bodies.

CE Mark: For products entering EU countries, the CE Mark continues to be the mark of approval and is provided by the EU Notified Body system. Products from outside the UK that go directly into Northern Ireland, and not into GB, still only need a CE Mark.

UKCA: The new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark comes into effect by the end of June 2025  and until then the CE mark remains valid. To gain the UKCA, product coming into GB must undergo third-party conformity assessment by a UK Approved Body. (Other changes include the importer’s details being permanently marked on the product, not just on the documentation or with a sticky label).

UKNI: This new conformity marking is only for products placed on the market in Northern Ireland which have been assessed by a UK body. It cannot be used on its own, but must be added alongside the UKCA. Special treatment for products entering NI was set down by the Northern Ireland Protocol as part of the Brexit arrangements. The marking is unique to Northern Ireland and will not be recognised within the EU.

For those GB manufacturers supplying NI, a special provision in the Protocol allows UK Approved Bodies to test to EU standards so that both CE and UKNI marking can be affixed.

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