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CE Mark
The European Commission refers to the CE Marking of products as a "passport"
which can allow a manufacturer to freely circulate their products within the
European marketplace. The marking applies only to products regulated by European
health, safety and environmental protection legislation (product directives)
but this is estimated to include more than 50% of the goods currently exported
from the U.S. to Europe.
The actual CE Marking is the letters "CE" which a manufacturer affixes
to certain products for access to the European market (consisting of 18 countries
and also referred to as the European Economic Area or EEA). The letters "CE'
are an abbreviation of a French phrase "Conformite Europeene". The
marking indicates that the manufacturer has conformed with all the obligations
required by the legislation. Initially, the phrase was "CE Mark":
however, "CE Marking" was legislated as its replacement in 1993.
"Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that the products they place
on the market meet all relevant regulations. Where these regulations do not
require mandatory certification, manufacturers often seek voluntary certification
to assure themselves that their products do meet the requirements set by law."
Please note:
• The CE Marking is not a quality-mark. First, it refers to the safety
rather than to the quality of a product. Second, CE marking is mandatory for
the product it applies to whereas most quality marking are voluntary.
• Many people use the term “CE Mark”. Initially, this was the
phrase used to indicate this conformity marking. However, “CE mark”
was officially replaced by the term “CE Marking” in 1993. Thus, it
is better to speak of “CE Marking”.
The main goals of the CE Marking are to:
- indicate a product's conformity with the "essential requirements"
of the directives
- allow products to be "placed on the market"
- ensure the "free movement of goods"
- allow the "withdrawal of non-conforming products" by customs
and enforcement authorities
The CE Marking:
- is not a mark or certification or approval issued by a third party,
- is not simply a marketing or promotional tool
- is not a quality mark
- is not for components*
*(Although there are some exceptions, the vast majority of components do
not need CE Marking.)
