Ecodesign and energy labelling in manufacturing
Ecodesign requirements
The manufacturer, authorised representative or importer that first places a regulated product on the Great Britain or Northern Ireland market, or puts it into service, is responsible for compliance.
From 1 January 2021, there are some differences in the rules for placing energy-related products on the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and placing energy-related products on the market in Northern Ireland.
How to comply
A Declaration of Conformity must be completed, supported by technical documentation to demonstrate compliance. All documentation must be kept available for inspection for a period of at least 10 years from the date the product was last manufactured and be made available to Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) on request within 10 working days.
Manufacturers must also declare conformity with all relevant legislation by affixing:
- the UKCA mark, in the case of a product being placed on the market in GB, and/or
- the CE mark, in the case of a product being placed on the market in NI
Some products will also be subject to regulations that require mandatory third-party conformity assessment.
Read further information on conformity assessment and the appropriate markings.
Read further information on placing goods on the GB market.
Importers must:
- confirm manufacturers have met the regulations for a product they place on the GB and/or NI market
- retain a copy of the Declaration of Conformity
- ensure technical documentation is available to OPSS on request for 10 years after the last product is first placed on the market
If an importer places a product on the GB or NI market under its own name or trademark, it must comply with all manufacturer’s obligations.
Distributors
From 1 January 2021 some distributors are now classed as importers and will need to understand their obligations if their status has changed.
You’ll become an importer if:
- you’re the first one bringing goods from outside the United Kingdom and placing them on the market in GB - read guidance on how this change may affect you.
- you’re the one bringing goods for the first time into NI from either GB or another non-European Union country and placing them on the NI market - read guidance on how this change may affect you.
If a business modifies a product in a way that might affect the compliance of that product, it must comply with all manufacturer’s obligations.
Monitoring and enforcement
The OPSS is the appointed Market Surveillance Authority for Ecodesign Regulations in GB and NI.