The UK has decided to continue recognising the CE mark for construction products, easing difficulties for businesses for now. To avoid problems in the future, both sides need to agree on a common way to describe and understand construction products
In September 2024, the UK Government announced that it is extending the period of recognition of the CE (Conformité Européene) marking for construction products indefinitely. Any plans to phase out the CE mark from the British market will be subject to a minimum 2-year transitional period.
This means that manufactured products placed on the British market can either be UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) or CE certified, but products placed on the EU market must always be CE certified.
The implementation of UKCA marking
The implementation of UKCA marking, which was introduced post-Brexit in January 2021, represents another set of rules and regulations for construction companies to understand. However, as stated by the Minister for Building Safety and Homelessness, it is not yet fit for implementation. She cited insufficient testing and certification capacity as the reason behind the delay to the June 2025 deadline. This has, however, granted businesses placing manufactured products on the British market continued stability and flexibility – at least for the time being.
This indefinite continuation is possible as both the CE and the UKCA standards for manufactured construction products are, at the time of writing, almost identical. There are some superficial differences in terminology, but fundamentally, the EU’s ‘harmonised’ standards and the UK’s ‘designated’ standards are aligned. They are both markings used to indicate that a product complies with health, safety and environmental requirements.
The potential for merging CE and UKCA standards
This convergence of CE and UKCA standards reduces the cost burden on manufacturers selling on both markets. As an example, it prevents manufacturers from having to produce two designs to ensure one product meets both regulations. Data alignment between the two markets is a further positive step towards creating a greener and more circular economy.
That said, differences between the two regulations may soon become more significant. Despite its indefinite recognition of the CE marking, the UK government will continue to revise its regulations for construction products. Its plan not to rejoin the Single Market indicates that it intends to diverge from EU standards. If so, the UKCA will likely take on distinct regulations that would end the government’s current recognition of CE marking.
The need for a common technical language
These differences would represent challenges for product manufacturers, especially those selling on the British market, who may find themselves tangled up between two operational but distinct regulations.
What the construction industry needs to overcome these potential hurdles is a common technical language for construction products.
The role of standardisation bodies
Data templates offer one example of how manufacturers are detailing essential characteristics of a product in a standardised digital format. In the longer term, these data templates will also feed into tools such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which provide information about a product’s environmental impact, and Digital Product Passports (DPPs), which capture critical data about products throughout their entire lifecycle. Both will help to enhance transparency and traceability for all construction stakeholders. While neither is currently a legal requirement, DPPs are anticipated to become mandatory for various products in the EU from 2026, and there is growing interest in their use among UK businesses.
This is why standardisation bodies, such as the CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) and the BSI (British Standards Institution), have vital roles to play in ensuring continued alignment between EU-harmonised standards and UK-designated standards. Joint guidelines, mutual recognition and a coordinated approach are essential.
Without a common technical language, understanding a product’s specification will become more complex. In the meantime, product manufacturers need to start planning ahead for changes that may affect their businesses. How they organise their data will be crucial for selling on the EU market, whatever course of action the UK takes.
