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Good thread and article from the always brilliant @pmdfoster Since twitter now finally acknowledges the importance of the type of work I do on a daily basis :-) I need to add a few remarks. Its a bit long, I will get to the UK angle. 1/12 https://twitter.com/pmdfoster/status/1285496946145267714
Its called "CE marking" not "CE mark" since this refers to the process, the manufacturer goes through before placing a product on the EU market for the first time. The "CE mark" if you will, is the sign that the relevant steps have been taken. 2/12
Its steps like risk assessment, evaluation against the essential requirements (ESRs) in the legislation and ensuring the user has adequate information on safe use. In some situations it also requires that the product has been evaluated by a Notified Body. 3/12
The ESRs is the core of the legislation (but its important to remember that there is more). Its the specific safety, energy effieciency or other requirements for a product in scope of that particular legislation (could be the Machinery directive, PPE, LVD, ErP and much more) 4/12
The manufacturer must be able to show that a product complies with the ESRs and the best way of doing this, is by complying with a harmonised standard. A harmonised standard sets out the details in compliance for a more specific product. 5/12
Those standards are done by @Standards4EU and @ETSI_STANDARDS often, but certainly not always, based on international standards from @IECStandards or @isostandards. However, these EN standards are not always easy to get accepted by the @EU_Commission as they set tough reqs. 6/12
The future UK system will be a "carbon-copy" of the EU system described above (as far as we know/can guess). The EU Notified Bodies equivalent will be "UK approved bodies". The EU harmonised standards equivalent will be "UK designated standard". 7/12
@BSI_UK will maintain membership of @Standards4EU and @ETSI_STANDARDS and that means that the UK will continue the use of EN standards (you know, those under tight scrutiny by the @EU_Commission) and its those standards which will also become "UK designated standards" 8/12
All the above means that the substance of the product requirements will not change at the end of the transition period. However divergence will occur on day two due to: The lists of EU harmonised stds and UK designated stds cannot be kept completely similar over time 9/12
and its unclear if the UK will carbon-copy any development in the legislation in these areas after the end of transition. EU legislation develops all the time, common charger (ErP directive) Cyber security (Radio equipment directive) or revisions (machinery directive) 10/12
Earlier this month I did a thread on what this means for manufactures of goods who wants to place those goods on the UK market. The key is "all pain, no gain" but its not as bad yet as it will be when divergence starts to happen. 11/12 https://twitter.com/JornTychsen/status/1281494214384259072?s=20
Which type of products does it apply to ? its a wide range, but you can get an impression from this UK gov site: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ce-marking#products-that-need-ce-marking 12/12 ENDS
