The UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced the extension of the recognition of CE marking for construction products.
The recognition of CE marking had been due to cease in June 2025 causing uncertainty for timber construction products. Now, CE marking recognition will continue to be accepted when placing construction products on the UK market.
“We have listened to the findings from the Independent Review of the Construction Products Testing Regime,” a Government statement read.
“This was clear that there is currently insufficient testing and certification capacity in the UK alone to provide the volume of conformity assessment that would be required were CE recognition to end. We are also clear that ending recognition of CE marking without reforming the domestic regime would create trade barriers and negatively affect the supply of products that meet recognised standards.”
The Government also said it was determined to address inadequacies across the wider construction products regime. “Residents and communities need to be confident that their homes will be safe and well-built now and in the future. To ensure this, the Government will want to take into account any recommendations from the forthcoming Grenfell Inquiry report to inform proposals for reform.”
The CE marking extension, and the longer-term future of CE/UKCA marking, is conditional on the Government committing to system wide reform of the construction products regulatory regime.
Any subsequent changes to the recognition of CE marking would be subject to a minimum 2-year transitional period.
The Trussed Rafter Association released a statement, saying the decision represented an end to the uncertainty regarding CE marking for timber-based products.
“The announcement of the extension to the recognition of CE marking for construction products provides a clearer path forward, reducing uncertainty and allowing TRA members to operate,” said Nick Boulton, chief executive of the TRA.
“The extension also ensures that our industry has sufficient time to adapt to any future regulatory changes. This is particularly critical for products like metal web beams which use technical approvals to support their conformity marking.”
