The CE mark or the Conformitè Europëenne is a very recognizable mark you may have seen on many products.
This mark is used by the European Union to ensure that the products sold by companies within the European Economic Area (EEA) follow the regulation and guidelines set by the EU’s New Approach Directives. If a company applies this mark to its product they declare that they are following the New Approach Directives. This mark is not only for products made in the EU but for any company that wants to sell in the EEA.
Most companies will use self-declaration which means they claim that their product is CE certified. If the following basic guidelines are met the product can be CE certified:
- Fulfills the requirements of relevant European product directives
- Meets all the requirements of the relevant recognized European harmonized performance and safety standards
- Is fit for its purpose and will not endanger lives or property
CE marking does not provide any specific information to the consumer. The CE is a mark on the product and does not specifically have CE documentation. It is not a quality assurance declaration and does not show evidence of third-party testing. It should not be confused with any independent certification mark of the type issued by international or European notified test bodies. Many companies will provide product compliance documentation, which will give the information a CE mark does not provide, such as RoHS and REACH compliance.
Of course, there are companies that will put the CE mark on their product without it following the EU guidelines. Companies can be challenged and will have to provide the proper documents to prove their product follows the guidelines. You can contact national market surveillance authorities if the misuse of the CE marking is suspected or if a product’s safety is questioned.
Information for this post was found at the official EU Website: CE marking (europa.eu)