BREXIT – what does it mean for UK Wood Product Standards & Canadian Exporters?

By: Lance Tao

Export Development Program, Canada Wood Group

Now that the UK is no longer a member of the European Union what does this mean for wood product exporters to Great Britain and EU?  This article provides some answers.

Unified rules for the EU single market began with the Construction Products Directive (CPD).  The system enables placement of building products on the market in all EU Member States (MS) based on a common technical language comprising harmonized technical specifications, supporting product standards (European Norms – EN), European Assessment Documents (EAD) for the technical approval of innovative products/systems plus the oversight of a single Notified Body (NB) located in any EU member state when third-party accreditation is required.  Just one set of integrated documentation enables your product to be placed on the market in all 28 member states.  Very useful indeed!

Unfortunately, Brexit is likely to ‘throw a spanner in the works’ for Canadian lumber and panel exporters to the UK.

One consequence of the UK having been involved for over forty years in the EU was that many conflicting British Standards (BS) were replaced by ENs, as BS ENs, which, of necessity, must now be retained.  And similarly, it has been necessary to retain, with appropriate amendments, the Construction Products Regulation (CPR).  (The CPD preceded the CPR.) In 2019, the UK government adopted and wrote into law the original EU CPR. All existing European harmonized standards will become UK ‘designated standards.’ This will mean that immediately following the UK’s exit from the EU, the European harmonized standards and UK designated standards will be identical.

Following the conclusion of the Brexit ‘deal’ in December 2020, UK government issued further amendments with which little changed other than an indication that Northern Ireland would no longer be covered by the 2019 UK CPR which became the CPR for Great Britain (“England and Wales, and Scotland”).  Northern Ireland will retain the EU CPR.