The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) is calling on the newly appointed government to suspend the UKCA transition for at least two years and work with the sector to manage a smooth transition into the new arrangements.
In a letter to the new secretaries of state, the CLC draws attention to its concern with transitioning from CE marking to UKCA from January 2023.
The letter argues that “the Construction Products Regulations UK (CPR) were adopted into the UK from the original EU regulations as part of the Brexit negotiations. These regulations are specific to construction products, with separate provisions and definitions from the wider product regulations used in the wider economy.
“The UKCA mark and transition arrangements from CE remains unclear and the UK testing capacity has not been able to scale up to meet the demands.
“Not all products are affected but many of the most important to construction are, such as glues and sealants, glass, insulation, radiators and passive fire protection to name a few, which are all necessary to deliver the new homes, schools and hospitals the country needs.”
The CLC also notes that 28% of products are imported, with half of that from the EU, resulting in global manufacturers regarding the UK as simply being too difficult to do business with.
As a result of the aforementioned, the CLC is now urging the government to:
- Suspend the implementation of UKCA marking for at least two years.
- Establish a joint working party between the government and the construction sector to plan a transition to the new arrangements.
