The Video Standards Council has confirmed the proposed changes to the age ratings system for games in the UK will not be applied until April 1, 2011.

Delay in PEGI rating being legally enforceable has been blamed on the Digital Economy Act, which while passes, has not been “made effective”as of yet.

Here’s the official statement from the VSC obtained by MCV:

“The BBFC have approached the UK Government expressing concern that games rated PEGI 18 will be released in the UK without BBFC certification.

“The Digital Economy Act has been passed in the UK but has not yet been made effective. This means there is no change in the procedure for releasing games in the UK. If a game is rated PEGI 18 it must be submitted to the BBFC for a legal classification. This is irrespective of whether it contains exempt content as it reflects the voluntary agreement made by the games industry to avoid confusion over 18 rated games. Games must also be submitted to the BBFC if the contain any extraneous video which is not part of the game. This includes trailers.

“The Government has said the legislative change is likely to be implemented on April 1st 2011. The VSC is involved in the discussions regarding the implementation of the new legislation and will ensure that all coders are made aware of the changes to the procedure in good time to allow submissions to be adjusted. In the mean time please continue with your submissions in the same way that you have always done until the VCS advises differently.

“It is important to stress that no games must appear for sale in UK shops with aPEGI 18 logo prior to April 1st 2011.”

Originally, enforcement of the ratings was to be in effect by October, after its delay last year.

PEGI ratings and the new labels are expected to be enforced before Christmas rolls around in the UK.

ELSPA chairman Andy Payne has said that the Video Standards Council will legally be able to start classifying games after the UK Government returns from recess, which runs from July – October 12.

“There’s a whole load of things that will need to happen and they are all geared around the political process,” Payne told GI.biz. “In terms of this actually becoming law, it’s got to get through Parliament and that will happen but that will take time.

“Parliament is going into recess and this won’t even get looked at before then. In terms of making it absolutely law, and that’s the VSC taking over the legislative duties the BBFC has, that won’t happen until the autumn at the earliest, and there’s a whole load of things that have got to happen before that.

“In this political climate I would expect this to be going through due legal process before Christmas and I fully expect the new symbols on boxes for the big major products that are coming out in the fourth quarter.”

The full interview is through the link.

The British Video Standards Council has been given powers to ban games in the UK that don’t apply to PEGI guidelines, GI reports.

“The VSC will be an independent body, as is the PEGI system, and while I’m sure there’s some joining up to do, it’s a tough system,” said EA UK MD Keith Ramsdale.

“We’ve gone further than the recommendations and PEGI will impose fines for non-compliance and possible exclusion from the PEGI system for non compliance.

“This isn’t something ELSPA can affect, this will become a legislative statutory system and ELSPA doesn’t get an influence, it’s being handled independently,” he added.

PEGI was named as the sole UK ratings board by the UK government earlier today.