EU safety regulators will retest all goods manufactured in UK in case of hard Brexit

  • Country:
  • United Kingdom

LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - British manufacturers selling goods ranging from machinery to toys into the European Union would need to have their products retested by EU safety regulators in the event of a "no deal" Brexit, the British government said on Thursday.

Currently, British manufacturers of many goods are subject to the EU's "New Approach" rules that ensure products sold across the bloc meet its safety and environmental standards.

But if Britain and the EU fail to agree on the terms of their divorce ahead of the March 29 leaving date, procedures would change markedly for British producers, the British government said in a paper detailing the consequences of a no-deal Brexit.

The goods covered by the paper include construction products, lifts, toys, and machinery. Road vehicles, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals have been covered in separate papers.

"Products which were tested by a UK-based notified body will need to be retested by an EU-recognised conformity assessment body before placing on the EU internal market," the paper said of a no-deal scenario.

"Alternatively, manufacturers can seek to arrange for their files to be transferred to an EU-recognised notified body to allow for certificates of conformity issued by a UK-based notified body to continue to be valid."

Conversely, Britain would allow goods that meet EU requirements to be sold in the British market without being retested, for a time-limited period, the government said.

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