Brexit may lead to loss of CE recognition, layoffs
More than 200 U.K. agencies that provide "CE" safety labels for MRI scanners may lose recognition in March 2019 due to Brexit, according to a recent article by The Guardian, leaving many specialized personnel out of a job.
Because of British exit from the European Union (EU), the European Commission announced an official notice explaining that agencies "will lose their status as EU notified bodies" and will be removed from EU databases after March 29, 2019. Agencies affected include the British Standards Institute and Lloyds Register, among many others. Lloyds Register has taken steps to recruit staff from places such as the Netherlands to "Brexit-proof" their organization, according to The Guardian.
“We are taking action to mitigate risks and deal with the range of possible outcomes related to Brexit negotiations,” Lloyds Register said in a statement.
Additionally, the European Commission (EC) is advising manufacturers to either receive future certification through an EU member state or transfer existing files to an "EU-notified body," which could take up to six months.
"The EC notice highlights the challenges facing exporters as a result of Britain’s decision to leave the EU and the risk to jobs in EU-related work," according to The Guardian.
Read more below: