In a statement to Parliament, minister Rushanara Ali confirmed that the previous deadline of 30 June 2025 for recognising CE marking has been extended, with the future date not set
Speaking to Parliament on Monday 2 September, Ali confirmed that “the Government will extend the period of recognition of CE marking for construction products. The CE mark will continue to be available when placing construction products on the market across the UK.”
Citing “insufficient testing and certification capacity”, Ali said that the CE marking extension would allow the Government to focus on any product testing reforms recommendations from the coming Grenfell Inquiry report.
The UK currently lacks the capacity to undergo full transition to the UKCA
Certain construction products are assessed and verified through the presence of a UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) or a CE (Conformité Européenne) mark.
After the UK left the European Union in 2020, a timeline was set out for the end of the CE markin recognition in the UK on manufactured products. The original December 2024 deadline was extended indefinitely for non-construction products, leading to calls of concern from the UK construction sector.
Acknowledging that “ending recognition of CE marking without reforming the domestic regime would create trade barriers and negatively affect the supply of products,” this deadline has now been pushed back.
Findings from the Independent Review of the Construction Products Testing Regime also indicated that testing and certification bodies do not have the resources to appropriately deliver the transition to sole UKCA markings on manufactured construction products.
There will be a two year transitional period when the new date is announced
“I am also determined to address the inadequacies across the wider construction products regime,” Ali continued. “Residents and communities need to be confident that their homes will be safe and well-built now and in the future. To ensure this, the Government will want to take into account any recommendations from the forthcoming Grenfell Inquiry report to inform proposals for reform. Therefore, I am making this extension, and the longer-term future of CE/UKCA marking, conditional on this Government committing to system wide reform of the construction products regulatory regime.”
“The Government recognises the role of UK Conformity Assessment Bodies in ensuring compliance of goods on the market. As part of the reforms the Government will work with UK Conformity Assessment Bodies, the UK Accreditation Service, and the wider industry to strengthen the conformity assessment market.”
“Lastly, I recognise the need for industry to have sufficient certainty to support supply chains. I can confirm that any subsequent changes to the recognition of CE marking would be subject to a minimum 2-year transitional period.”
