ETIRA welcomes delay to UKCA requirements

October 7, 2021

A one-year delay to the mandatory requirement for businesses to adopt the UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA) mark has been welcomed by ETIRA.

The European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) raised its concerns around the challenges the new mark would bring for its members, in July this year.

However, the government has now postponed the requirement for manufacturers to have the mark in place by a further 12 months, meaning there is no obligation to use the UKCA marking until 1 January 2023.

Javier Martinez, president of ETIRA, says this move will buy businesses more time:

“We very much welcome the extension to January 2023, as it will allow our industry to seek out further guidance around the use of UKCA and ensuring products conform to regulations across different territories in Europe, Northern Ireland and the UK.

“Earlier this year we warned of the significant challenges the introduction of the new UKCA marking would bring for our members, with manufacturers, importers and retailers potentially being faced with having to use three different labels if they wish to continue selling their products in multiple countries.

“This delay buys more time to clarify the finer details and to allow businesses to prepare in full for the changes that lie ahead.

“For example, we are yet to hear if these changes will also apply to the movement and remanufacture of empty printer cartridges but, if it does, that will further hamper the industry’s efforts to encourage reuse, significantly limiting the market size unless remanufacturers are prepared to invest in securing all three certifications.”

The UKCA marking came into effect on 1 January 2021 as part of a new domestic goods regulation following the UK’s exit from the EU. The marking applies to most goods that previously required the CE label.

For the latest guidance on the UKCA marking, visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-market-in-great-britain