Brussels safety logos set to remain on British products, ministers say
BRUSSELS safety logos can remain on British products, ministers have agreed.
A phase-out of CE stamps on goods planned for next year was suspended indefinitely by the business department.
Manufacturers welcomed the move, saying it would save the cost of having to use two different labels for selling in the UK and EU.
But leading Brexiteers saw it as a fresh attempt to keep the UK tied to Brussels and its rule book.
The CE mark stands for Conformité Européenne and proves a product meets EU safety, health and environmental standards.
It was planned for the UK to introduce its own mark, known as the UK Conformity Assessed stamp, for goods for sale in the UK market.
But ministers have now decided products made in the UK for sale in Britain can carry either the CE or UKCA mark, or both.
It means some items will still be stamped only with the EU’s mark, provided they comply with Brussels’ rules.
Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “By extending CE marking use across the UK, firms can focus their time and money on creating jobs and growing the economy.”
Last night, the Department for Business and Trade said the delay was designed to “prevent a cliff-edge moment in December 2024 when UKCA was set for entry”.
But leading Brexiteer Sir Iain Duncan Smith hit out at the “failure of the Government to progress the UKCA regulation much earlier”.
He warned: “The problem is that to increase our competitiveness we will need to diverge and this will make that more difficult.
“Ministers are slowly bootstrapping us to the EU — the worst of all worlds.”