The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Insertion of regulation 2A

3.  After regulation 2 insert—

“Designated standard

2A.— (1) Subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), in these Regulations a “designated standard” means a technical specification which is—

(a) adopted by a recognised standardisation body, for repeated or continuous application, with which compliance is not compulsory; and

(b) designated by the Secretary of State by publishing the reference to the standard and maintaining that publication in a manner the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a “technical specification” means a document that prescribes technical requirements to be fulfilled by a product, process, service or system and which lays down one or more of the following—

(a) the characteristics required of a product, service or system, including—

(i) levels of quality, performance, interoperability, environmental protection, health, safety or dimensions, and

(ii) the requirements applicable to the product, service or system as regards the name under which the product is sold, terminology, symbols, testing and test methods, packaging, marking or labelling and conformity assessment procedures; and

(b) production methods and processes relating to the product, where these have an effect on the characteristics of the product, service or system.

(3) For the purposes of this regulation a “recognised standardisation body” means any one of the following organisations—

(a) the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN);

(b) the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (Cenelec);

(c) the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI);

(d) the British Standards Institution (BSI).

(4) When considering whether the manner of publication of a reference is appropriate in accordance with paragraph (1)(b), the Secretary of State shall have regard to whether the publication will draw the standard to the attention of any person who may have an interest in the standard.

(5) Before publishing the reference to a technical specification adopted by the British Standards Institution, the Secretary of State shall have regard to whether the technical specification is consistent with technical specifications adopted by the other recognised standardisation bodies.

(6) The Secretary of State may remove from publication the reference to a standard which has been published in accordance with paragraph (1)(b).

(7) Where the Secretary of State removes the reference to a standard from publication, that standard is no longer a designated standard.

(8) The Secretary of State may by regulations amend paragraph (3) to reflect any changes in the name or structure of the recognised standardisation bodies.

(9) Regulations made under paragraph (8) are to be made by statutory instrument.

(10) A statutory instrument containing regulations made under paragraph (8) is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution in the House of Commons.”.