1/ Explanation:
EU signalling it may not grant 'conformity assessment' rights to UK in the upcoming FTA.
This would make it more expensive and annoying for some UK exports, in a way that even many other EU trading partners don't have to deal with.
EU signalling it may not grant 'conformity assessment' rights to UK in the upcoming FTA.
This would make it more expensive and annoying for some UK exports, in a way that even many other EU trading partners don't have to deal with.
2/ Conformity Assessment is a government saying:
"OK we have different rules for products, but we both have good, responsible laboratories/testing centers.
I'll tell you what our rules are and your labs can test. If they say a product meets them, that's good enough for us."
"OK we have different rules for products, but we both have good, responsible laboratories/testing centers.
I'll tell you what our rules are and your labs can test. If they say a product meets them, that's good enough for us."
3/ This makes a big practical difference for some businesses, because they would otherwise have to go and get their product tested abroad in the importing country.
This might be expensive, time consuming or impractical.
This might be expensive, time consuming or impractical.
4/ Agreements on conformity assessment don't always come as part of an FTA.
Governments will sometimes do a standalone deal called an "MRA" on just these sorts of questions.
Governments will sometimes do a standalone deal called an "MRA" on just these sorts of questions.
5/ Important note: Don't confuse conformity assessment, which concerns what a product IS, with the level playing field, which concerns the labour, environmental and state aid rules in the country it was made in.
Explainer below:
explaintrade.com/articles/2020/…
Explainer below:
explaintrade.com/articles/2020/…
