On 31 January 2020, Brexit came into effect in the UK officially left the EU.
This means that EU manufacturers selling their products have to make some adjustments to keep legally selling their products in the United Kingdom.
The New Legislative Framework (NFL) Regulation EC 765/2008 (RAMS) behind the changes has been implemented into UK law and has been applicable since the 1st of January 2021.
An important part of the regulation refers to the need to indicate the economic operator's details on all products sold in the zone, regardless of whether they require certification or not, e.g.: CE or UKCA.
The economic operators include: the manufacturer, the importer, the authorised representatives, or the logistics service provider, but they must be registered in the United Kingdom. Their details should be indicated, 'on the product or on its packaging, on the package or on an accompanying document'. To give manufacturers more time to adjust to the changes, the government will introduce legislation allowing this information to be affixed to the product, packaging, or accompanying documentation via an adhesive label until the end of 2027.
UK manufacturers are required to use the details of an EU-registered economic operator when placing their products on the EU market.
When an economic operator’s details are used on a product, they must take on new roles and responsibilities placed on them by the legislation. In some cases, an importer may not be willing to take on these responsibilities, or the manufacturer may prefer to find an alternative option.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution! A manufacturer that sells products to customers in the UK can contract the services of an authorised representative, like Indele Ltd, who is able to take on the importers’ responsibilities. This makes complying with the regulations simple and easy for both the manufacturer and the importer.
For more details regarding this subject visit the government web page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukca-marking-roles-and-responsibilities
With regards to the UKCA mark, which replaces the CE mark in the United Kingdom, all products that currently show the CE mark will have to use the UKCA to be sold in the United Kingdom. The UKCA mark is currently valid and will become mandatory at the end of 2024.
For more information about this subject visit the government web page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukca-marking
Feel free to contact us for a consultation about selling your products in the United Kingdom and how we can help.
t. +44 (0)1254 976 821 | sales@indele.co.uk
Article name: UKCA Brexit and Authorised Representatives in the UK