Information about Brexit

Validity of MED certifications by former UK Notified Bodies in the European Union

The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020 and is now a third country. Due to an agreed transition period, there were no changes in product law for MED marine equipment for the time being until 31 December 2020.

However, as of 1 January 2021, conformity assessment procedures under the MED can no longer be carried out by UK notified bodies. Accordingly, certificates for MED marine equipment may no longer be issued by them as of 1 January 2021.

Also, certificates issued before 1 January 2021 by former UK Notified Bodies can no longer be used by the manufacturer of MED marine equipment in the context of the MED conformity assessment as of 1 January 2021. A further affixing of the wheel mark on MED marine equipment is no longer possible on the basis of these certificates since 1 January 2021!

MED marine equipment placed on the market since 1 January 2021 therefore requires certificates issued exclusively by bodies that continue to be effectively notified to the European Commission. All effectively notified bodies can be found in the NANDO database.

MED marine equipment already produced and placed on the market before 1 January 2021, on the other hand, can continue to base its certification on certificates issued by now former UK Notified Bodies before 1 January 2021.

Marine equipment in the United Kingdom

Since 2019, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has published an updated Marine Information Note 590 (PDF, 280KB, Not barrier-free file.) on the UK conformity assessment procedure for marine equipment, which now basically replaces MED certification.

Please contact MCA or other UK public administration bodies if you have any questions about the current requirements for market access of marine equipment in the UK or the use of marine equipment on UK flagged vessels from 1 January 2021.

Notice from the European Commission on the Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom

As part of its comprehensive information on preparing for Brexit and its consequences, the European Commission has published, among other things, a Brexit Note (PDF, 496KB, Not barrier-free file.), which informs economic operators about product-related provisions of the withdrawal agreement and about the legal situation after the end of the transitional period, i.e. for the period from 1 January 2021. According to its annex, the communication also explicitly applies to MED marine equipment.