Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the UK now has its own domestic regulations covering most goods previously subject to the EU’s CE marking. The CE marking shows that these products meet EU safety, health or environmental requirements. It’s important to get your business ready for these changes so you can start or continue to sell your items in the Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI) markets.
As a result of the new regulations, there are two new types of marking to be compliant with for selling in Great Britain and in Northern Ireland.
The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking is the new product marking required to demonstrate that certain goods are compliant with the UK rules and can be placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland). It covers all goods that previously required the CE marking.
The UKNI (United Kingdom Northern Ireland) marking is the new conformity marking for products placed on the market in Northern Ireland but only where a UK-based conformity assessment body has been used.
Different types of marking for Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| Conformity marking | Description |
|---|---|
| UKCA | The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking is for goods being placed on the market in Great Britain. It covers most goods which previously required the CE marking and also covers some products which in the EU use different conformity markings (e.g. aerosol dispensers which previously used the reverse epsilon marking). |
| UKNI + CE | The UKNI marking is for certain products placed on the market in Northern Ireland (NI) only. It is used for products that have undergone mandatory third-party conformity assessment by a UK-based body and is always accompanied by the CE marking. |
| CE | The CE marking is for most goods placed on the market in Northern Ireland (and must be used where required for goods placed on the EU market). You will continue to use the CE marking (only) if you self-declare or if you use an EU notified body to carry out mandatory conformity assessment and you place your goods on the NI (or EU)market. |
| UKCACE / UKNI + CE | Dual marking is possible. You can place both the UKCA and CE (or UKNI + CE) markings on the same product if it is destined for both markets providing the product meets the relevant regulatory requirements for each. |
For products that require the UKCA / CE / UKNI+CE markings, the seller needs to include this information in the item description while having the required documentation available. Review your listings and update the impacted items with the new markings.
The deadline for when businesses need to use the UKCA mark has been extended. You can both continue to use the CE marking and reversed epsilon marking on the GB market until 31 December 2024, or begin using the UKCA marking now. As of January 1, 2025, any non-compliant listings may be removed If you haven’t made the necessary updates.
You’ll find all the information you need to adapt your business for the new UK goods regulatory requirements here:
- Using the UKCA marking (Gov.uk)
- Using the UKNI marking (Gov.uk)
- eBay Product Safety Policy
If you place goods in the EU market, you still need to use the CE marking. Click on the links below to find out more about the CE product conformity: