The United Kingdom Conformity Assessment mark will be required from 2022 when it replaces the European Union’s CE certificates. In readiness, Brussels based International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI) has founded IMCI (UK) and established offices in Liverpool to ensure that recreational boats placed on the British market meet the country’s post-Brexit technical, safety and environmental standards.
The European Union’s CE certificates remain valid in Britain until the end of 2021. But from 2022, CE-marked goods will be required to obtain a United Kingdom Conformity Assessment mark to enter the UK.
In post-Brexit Europe, outfits like IMCI that are designated by an EU country to assess product conformity must be accredited as “UK Approved Bodies” if they wish to award the UKCA mark.
“To this end, IMCI has already incorporated and registered a company called the International Marine Certification Society with the registered trading name IMCI (UK) in Liverpool,” says IMCI.
Britain’s Recreational Craft Regulations of 2017 are identical to the EU’s Recreational Craft Directive. But post-Brexit era, the EU recreational craft standards are now called “designated standards” in Britain.
After December 31, 2021, manufacturers must have a Manufacturers Identity Code with the UK Register to place craft on the UK market. British Marine manages the UK MIC register on behalf of the UK government.