IMCI (UK) has decided to maintain and retain its accreditation as a UK Approved Body
Decision of yesterdayOn 1 August 2023, the UK Department of Business and Industry (BEIS) announced that the deadline for the parallel recognition of the CE mark to the UKCA mark in GB would be extended ‘indefinitely’. The deadline was previously already postponed from the end of 2022 to the end of 2024.
Despite this recent change and the moving dates, IMCI (UK) decided at yesterday's extraordinary meeting to maintain its accreditation as a UK Approved Body in order to continue to serve the international market with the UKCA mark.
The decision was taken because
- the Recreational Craft Regulations 2017 still apply
- there is anything definitive on the meaning of ‘indefinite’
- there is no law that makes the rolling announcements of BEIS mandatory
- after the next parliamentary elections, there could be divergent announcements
- the UKCA mark is perceived by the buyer of a product as an additional seal of approval.
Uli Heinemann, IMCI (UK) Secretary, says: "In order to be prepared for the future and to prevent all eventualities, we recommend our customers to continue to apply directly for the UKCA mark with the CE mark. It is worth investing the low cost for more legal certainty."