CE Marking

 

CE Marking

 

CE Marking stands for a French Phrase “”Conformité Européene ” meaning “European Conformity”. Initially, the term “EC Mark” was used for it but later in 1993 under Directive 93/68/EEC, it was officially changed to “CE Marking”. This marking certifies that a product has matched all the EU standards related to health, safety and environment and therefore guarantees consumer safety. It specifically includes goods that require homologation and registration. For the conformity, it is important to meet all the essential requirements listed in any relevant directives. Mainly, it consists of Protection requirements and Administration requirements.

Some of the important characteristics of CE Marking are:

  • It ensures the legal placement of the item in the market
  • The product must conform all the product directives to obtain this marking
  • It indicates free movement of the products within European Economic Area
  • It generates the environment for fair competition between companies under the umbrella of same rules
  • It is also applicable to the products manufactured in other countries but marketed in European Economic Area
  • Beneficial for both businesses and Consumers
  • It provides alignment to a consistent technical basis
  • Mandatory for the products placed under the New Approach Directives

CE Marking is applicable for only certain types of product, therefore it becomes important for the vendor to find out whether the country in which he wants to sell his products requires CE Marking or not. The product with all its features must also be checked for eligibility under CE Marking regulations. Some of the groups of products which need CE marking are:

  • Appliances Burning Gaseous Fuels
  • Cableway Installations to Carry Persons
  • Low Voltage Electrical Equipment
  • Construction Products
  • Machinery
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Medical Devices
  • Toys
  • Radio and Telecommunications terminal equipment
  • Recreational Craft
  • New hot water boilers
  • Equipment and protective systems for use in explosive atmospheres
  • Explosives for civil use
  • In Vitro diagnostic

How to obtain CE mark approval?

After detailed understanding of the directives which are applicable to the product, you need to choose the conformity assessment procedure from the available modules required for the Conformity assessment Procedures. These modules include internal production control, intervention of a Notified Body, EC type examination, conformity to type, etc. Following the directives, a product with greater risks needs to be independently certified. On the other hand, products with minimal risk can be certified by self declaration.