EU Service
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Authorised Representative Service has the expertise and industry experience to be your Representative in the EU or the UK

Manufacturers outside of the European Union and the UK need to be prepared for changes to their import obligations

Authorised Representative Service
August 2023 - CE mark to be recognised in Great Britain indefinitely.

Do you require Authorised Representative Service?

As of 31 Dec 2021, Manufacturers outside of the European Union and the UK need to be aware of changes to their import obligations.

Authorised Representative Service has the expertise and industry experience to be your Representative in the EU or the UK.

We are here to support manufacturers place their products legally on the market. We will represent your products as the responsible economic operator fulfilling the new obligations outlined in the Government guidelines for Brexit changes. We can also help you meet the obligations of the new Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, which came into force on 16th July 2021 within the EU.

Manufacturers importing into either the UK or the European Union (EU) face a number of changes to their responsibilities due to Brexit (implemented from 1st January 2021) and also due to the new Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (implemented from 16th July 2021).

When the UK left the EU on 1st January 2021, UK manufacturers who had an EU-based distributor required them to take on the obligations of an ‘importer’. Conversely EU manufacturers who had a distributor in the UK required them to take on the obligations of an importer. Many distributors do not want to take on the extra obligations and manufacturers therefore need to find a third party, such as Authorised Representative Service, to take on these obligations.

The new Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 has been adopted by the European Commission whilst the UK will continue to apply market surveillance framework based on the New Legislative Framework (NLF) Regulation EC 765/2008 to ensure the safety of products sold within the market. The new Regulation also addresses the loophole created by E-commerce, which currently makes the consumer responsible for ensuring products comply with safety standards.

CE Mark

UKCA In Brief

  • UK left the single market at the end of 2020, the trade deal signed in December 2020 did not change this.
  • The UK market has now left a separate regulatory system for product compliance. To this end, the UK has adopted the CE Marking regulations, adapting them to be used for the UKCA mark.
  • Technical requirements for products and most certification procedures has not changed. It does have potential to change in the future, but has not at present.
  • The UK will continue to accept the CE mark indefinitely as of 1st August 2023.
  • The UKCA marking system becomes optional, CE Marking will remain in the UK but will not be replaced by UKCA.
  • CE marking for the EU market is not affected.

Read More about Authorised Representative Service in the UK here.

If you need to know costs for EU Authorised Representative Services then please contact us.

CE Mark

Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 In Brief

  • The Regulation aims to protect citizens from unsafe and non-compliant products placed on the market in the EU.
  • The Regulation requires that, for most CE marked products, there needs to be an economic operator located within the EU.
  • This economic operator must liaise with the authorities to provide them with information or take certain actions.
  • This came into force on the 16th July 2021.
  • The Economic Operator can be the EU manufacturer, an Authorised Representative, an EU importer or a fulfilment service provider.
  • The Regulation also covers improvements to the market surveillance systems, such as trading standards.

Read More about Authorised Representative Service in the EU here.

If you need to know costs for the EU Authorised Representative Services please contact us.

Authorised Representative FAQ’s

What is an authorised representative?

An authorised representative (also known as AR) is an individual or company who is appointed by a manufacturer to carry out agreed specific tasks, such as drawing up and confirming a UK declaration of conformity on behalf of the manufacturer. However, AR’s must be established in the UK to certify the UKCA mark.

For certain products, an authorised representative is mandatory and for others, they are voluntary. For example, cosmetic products sold in the UK require a UK based authorised representative to be appointed. Authorised representatives are not responsible for safety and compliance, this is down to the manufacturer.

UK authorised representatives, when appointed may complete the following:

  • Apply UKCA marking
  • Create and complete a UK declaration of conformity
  • Maintain all necessary technical documentation to cooperate with market authorities and inspections

It is important to note that an AR cannot act as a manufacturer, they may only perform tasks on the manufacturers behalf.

Why do I need an Authorised Representative service?
As of the 16 th July 2021, a new EU regulation, (EU) 2019/1020 came into force requiring non-EU manufacturers to have an EU representative’s name and address on all products placed on the EU market.

As the UK has left the EU single market, manufacturers based in the UK will require the services of an EU-based economic operator if they wish to market their products in the EU.

View Our Frequently Asked Questions
Address

Address

Registered address on your product label

Expertise

Experts

Management and coordination

Compliance

Compliance

Declaration of conformity