This podcast discusses conformity assessment which is important to ensure manufacturers of industrial goods comply with international standards, and that compliance is verified. The issue of mutual recognition of conformity assessment comes into play for exports. If country A recognizes that country B's conformity assessment regime is as good as its own, then exporters in country B should only have to pay once for their products to be evaluated before they can export to the other country, thus saving them money.

The UK currently has mutual recognition agreements, with a number of countries, but not with the UK's biggest export market - the EU - even though the UK was a full participant in the EU conformity Assessment Regime up until Brexit. What are the prospects for a UK-EU agreement on conformity assessment? What are the barriers to this and how much does this impact EU-UK trade? Sharing their perspectives are Richard Collin (UKAS), Peter Holmes (UKTPO, University of Sussex), Jacques Pelkmans (CEPS), Fergus McReynolds (Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).