Today GAMBICA stands behind the new call to action report from UKAS, entitled ‘Developing a framework for an EU-UK mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessment.’

The UKAS paper represents a broad coalition of European industry calling for a practical framework through which the EU and UK can explore mutual recognition of conformity assessment.

This approach would reduce unnecessary duplication in testing and certification, lower costs for business, support SMEs, improve regulatory predictability and strengthen industrial competitiveness.

Steve Brambley, GAMBICA Chief Executive, said: “We strongly support this call for a mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessment between the EU and the UK. Many of our members, a large number of them small and medium-sized businesses, sell the same products into both markets. Testing and certifying a product twice adds cost and delay but does nothing for safety or quality, and with demand for assessment set to rise under new legislation, that burden will only grow.

“Mutual recognition would let our members spend less on paperwork and more on innovation. It would also give every product supplier in the UK and the EU wider choice of assessment bodies and the certainty they need to invest.”

A mutual recognition agreement would help address capacity constraints, increasing the availability of conformity assessment bodies available to European manufacturers. This supports effective regulatory implementation, integrated supply chains and facilitates market access.

The paper is being released at a time when both the EU and the UK are exploring opportunities to deepen cooperation, strengthening the future economic relationship between the two.