Quote:
Originally Posted by nomadking
The UK rules currently match the EUs and are not likely to diverge greatly in the near or even far future. Currently the UK has to check goods from outside the EU, so what is the problem? The product restrictions are on what is marketed and sold within the EU, not transported or even if made in the EU. Businesses in the EU, can and DO manufacture goods that don't meet EU rules
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It's the 'not likely to' that's the problem. That requires a degree of trust on behalf of the importer that products still comply with local standards and there's no trust with this kind of thing, you have to prove it.
Third countries of course can export to the EU but the exporter has to show that the goods comply with EU regulations and the EU has to inspect goods to test this. For the example of CE marking, there are mutual recognition agreements so certain goods can be imported to the EU without additional testing and
vice versa. Examples includes agreements with Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the USA, Israel and Switzerland. However, these agreements include the right to challenge any technical assessment at any time to ensure ongoing compliance. There's no trust involved...
You are right of course that EU manufacturers make products that are not legally sellable in the EU. There are some national technical requirements that differ so much from EU ones that they are mutually incompatible. The company I work for makes some machinery like this and they are very carefully segregated to make sure they are not sold in the EU