FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes. BM TRADA can assist with both CE and UKCA:

BM TRADA is an Approved Body, AB 1124, and can offer UKCA Marking.

CE Marking can be offered through our sister Organization, Element Materials Technology Rotterdam B.V. under Notified Body Number 2812.

Please request for both our CE and UKCA application forms, then complete and return them together to BM TRADA for processing. This will allow us to look into the possibility of conducting any Initial Type Testing and Factory Production Control Audits at the same time to support both UKCA and CE mandatory requirements.

No, Only CE or CE+UKNI is acceptable in Northern Ireland. 

If your product is:

• For the GB Market
• Within the scope of the UK Construction Products Regulation
• Within the scope of a Designated Standard

UKCA Certification will be Mandatory as of 1st January 2023.

If your product falls under AVCP Levels 1+; 1 and 2+, then it is up to the Notified Body carrying out the certification to decide on acceptability of Initial Type Test data.

If your Product falls under AVCP Level 3, then:

1. For UKCA, the Initial Type Test data will need to be from a UK Approved Test Body.
2. For CE, the Initial Type Test data will need to be from an EU Notified Test Body.

If you hold only one of the above from either Warringtonfire UK or Warringtonfire Gent please contact one of our Certification Engineers and we can advise on the necessary steps to obtain the other via our sub-contract agreement. 

Yes, historical test and class reports issued by Warringtonfire can be used to support UKCA Marking even if Warringtonfire was an EU Notified Body at the time of issue. 

Based on current Government guidance, CE Certification will be recognised in GB until the 31st December. As of 1st January 2023, UKCA Certification will be mandatory for all applicable products placed on the GB Market.

CE Certification will still be recognised in Northern Ireland. 

If your Product falls under AVCP Level 3, then it will not be acceptable. The EU Commission’s position is that type test reports issued by UK Notified Bodies are no longer valid for the EU Market from 1st January 2021.

If your product falls under AVCP Levels 1+; 1 and 2+, then it is up to the Notified Body carrying out the certification to decide on acceptability of the Initial Type Test data.

UKCA is not recognised on the EU market. Only CE is recognised in the EU Market. 

Marking requirements for both, UKCA & CE is given in the applicable Designated/Harmonised standard and Article 9 of the UK and EU CPR.

Separate Marks with the relevant information are required for UKCA and CE. In addition, a separate Declaration of Performance must be issued for UKCA & CE.

The Marking of the product is the responsibility of the Manufacturer or their Authorised Representative (where allowed for in the relevant legislation).

From a Technical perspective, Designated Standards are currently identical to European Harmonised Standards. There will however be divergence in the future. In terms of test methods, audit procedures and other Certification activities the requirement for UKCA is equivalent to that for CE.

UK designated standards are published on the UK Government website. European Harmonised Standards are published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). 

“UKCA” Certification is a mandatory Certification Scheme that has come into force in GB, following BREXIT, and replaces CE Certification.

UKCA is the acronym for ‘United Kingdom Conformity Assessed’ and became available for use as of 01 January 2021. It is mandatory for NEW applicable products placed on the GB market from 01 January 2021 and will become mandatory for ALL applicable products placed on the GB market from 01 January 2023. The use and application of the mark is broadly the same as the CE Mark. UKCA is governed by two Statutory Instruments, Statutory Instrument 2019:465 and SI 2020:1359. UKCA Certification is carried out in accordance with Designated Standards. A list of Designated Standards can be found on the UK Government website.

CE Certification will continue to be mandatory within the EU under Regulation (EU) 305/2011 – The EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR). Based on current Government guidance, CE Marking will still be accepted in GB until 31 December 2022. 

UKCA Certification can only be issued by a UK “Approved Body”.

Approved Bodies are listed on the UK Government Website and only listed Bodies are permitted to offer UKCA Certification.

The requirements that a product needs to meet for UKCA Certification are given in the relevant Designated Standard. The responsibilities relating to the Approved Body and the Manufacturer depends on the level of Attestation and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP) of the product. AVCP Information can be found in Annex ZA of the Designated Standard.