UK MED exemption soon to expire

As a result of the UK leaving the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is implementing its own Conformity Assessment Scheme for the certification of marine equipment.

Before the UK withdrew from the EU, its regulatory regime relied on the implementation of the EU’s marine equipment directive (2014/90/EU). However, the transition period is ending on 01 January 2023, until when the Marine Equipment Directive (MED) and other EU legislation will continue to apply to the UK.

Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1874 (M+F) Amendment 6

MSN 1874 gives technical information and guidance on the procedures for obtaining type approval for equipment placed or to be placed on board UK ships, as well as information regarding the UK’s policy for enforcing these requirements, and other standards to be applied to equipment on board UK ships.

Further, the Notice sets out the technical standards for equipment not requiring conformity assessment of type approval, before being placed on board a UK ship and for which the carriage requirement does not provide for a specific standard of equipment.

The Notice is split into three parts, covering three overarching categories of equipment. Part I sets out the equipment within the scope of the UK’s conformity assessment procedures for marine equipment and the associated technical requirements to which equipment must be approved by an approved body.

Part II sets out the requirements for equipment that falls outside the scope of the UK’s conformity assessment procedures for marine equipment but nonetheless requires approval of the MCA as the flag administration for UK ships under the international instruments, and equipment required to be approved in accordance with other UK domestic instruments.

Part III sets out technical standards and arrangements for other equipment, where there is no specified standard for such equipment in existing UK instruments.

Manufacturers with existing approval certificates in accordance with the Directive 2014/90/EU may continue to make their equipment available to the UK market and to be placed on board UK ships until 01 January 2023 when this will no longer be accepted.

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS (AVAILABLE ONLY TO SUBSCRIBERS):

Marine Equipment - United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures for Marine Equipment, Other Approval and Standards

Marine Equipment - United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures for Marine Equipment, Other Approval and Standards - Annex 1

Marine Equipment - United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures for Marine Equipment, Other Approval and Standards - Annex 2

Marine Equipment - United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures for Marine Equipment, Other Approval and Standards - Annex 3

Marine Equipment - United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures for Marine Equipment, Other Approval and Standards - Annex 4

Marine Equipment - United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures for Marine Equipment, Other Approval and Standards - Annex 5

Marine Equipment - United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures for Marine Equipment, Other Approval and Standards - Annex 6