The impact of UK leaving the EU (BREXIT)

This means that two years from the submission date (i.e. 30 March 2019) all EU primary and secondary legislation will cease to apply to the UK – unless another date or agreement is implemented. This known as ‘the withdrawal date” after which the UK will then become a ‘third country’.

As the UK leaves the EU, what will be the consequences for manufacturers of measuring instruments if they have certificates issued by an UK Notified Body?

There are three potential outcomes that manufacturers of measuring instruments need to consider:

1 A hard BREXIT; According the EU publication (link: https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/item-detail.cfm?item_id=612136) “WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND EU RULES IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS”, certificates issued by a UK notified body will be no longer valid after March 29, 2019. Please note that with the recent transitional period agreement (see below) between the UK government and the EU this outcome is becoming less likely.
2 A transition period; Consequences will be the same as for a hard BREXIT but there will be a transition period ending December 2020 (i.e. certificates issued by a UK notified body will be no longer valid after December 31, 2020).
3 A soft BREXIT; The UK may retain membership of the EU single market for goods and services and at least some free movement of people, according to European Economic Area rules. (link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Economic_Area) UK Notified Bodies may still be recognized in the EU/EEA in a similar way to Norway and Switzerland. Certificates issued by UK Notified Bodies should still be valid.
It is recognised that further negotiation will determine the final position of the UK’s relationship with the EU. However, what we do know is that manufacturers need to manage the risks described above.

What can NMi offer you?

We have listened to the concerns of manufacturers and developed cost effective solutions to help you manage the risks. NMi understands that manufacturers want to continue to offer products to the European market without constraints.

The solution

-NMI, as a Notified Body established in the Netherland and now operating in the UK, is able to transfer the [Module B or D] certificates issued by UK notified bodies to NMi based on original test results with minimal technical assessment and supporting administration.
-NMi is able to provide an initial re-verification service (rather than an initial verification) and enduring certification if you have a Module D certificate issued by an UK notified body – again NMi will aim to achieve primarily as a desktop exercise and again with minimal technical assessment and supporting administration.

Please contact NMi on 0031-88 636 2332 or via nmi@nmi.nl if you would like to receive more information or discuss further.