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The 'CE mark' (officially 'CE marking') is a mandatory conformity mark on many products placed on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA). The term initially used was "EC Mark" and it was officially replaced by "CE Marking" in the Directive 93/68/EEC in 1993. "EC mark" is still in use, but it is not the official term.
By affixing the CE marking, the manufacturer, its authorized representative, or person placing the product on the market or putting it into service asserts that the item meets all the essential requirements of all applicable EU directives and that the applicable conformity assessment procedures have been applied. Examples of European Directives requiring CE marking include toy safety, machinery, low-voltage equipment, R&TTE, and EM compatibility. There are about 25 Directives requiring CE marking. ^[1].
Officially, CE has no meaning as an abbreviation, but may have originally stood for ''Communauté Européenne'' or ''Conformité Européenne'', French for European Conformity.
The CE marking is a mandatory European marking for certain product groups to indicate conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in European Directives. To permit the use of a CE mark on a product, proof that the item meets the relevant requirements must be documented. Sometimes this is achieved using an external test house which evaluates the product and its documentation. Often it is achieved by a company-internal self-certification process. In any case the responsible organization (manufacturer, representative, importer) has to issue a 'EC-Declaration of Conformity' (EC-DoC) indicating his identity (location, etc.), the list of European Directives he declares compliance with, a list of standards the product complies with, and a legally binding signature on behalf of the organization. The EC-DoC underlines the sole responsibility of the manufacturer. Parts of the certification process for the CE marking could be performed by 3rd party test houses or certification bodies; in case that this is mandatory the CE symbol also includes a number that identifies the so called Notified Body.
Directives providing the requirements for the CE marking are created by the European Union (EU), but the markings are required throughout the European Economic Area (EEA), which also includes the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, and in Turkey, which is not a part of the EU or the EFTA. (Switzerland is the only nation that is part of the EFTA (or the EU), but not the EEA. According to information provided by the Swiss Government for Swiss Exporters the CE Mark is not compulsory in Switzerland except for products for export to the European Union.)
The mark was designed by Arthur Eisenmenger according to an article in The Guardian 2001-12-23.^[2]
The similar "e mark", rather than the CE logo, is used on motor vehicles and components for motor vehicles
[1] [2] [3].
(The "e mark" for motor vehicles is not to be confused with the 'e' mark for food labels[4]).

Contents

See also

References

Further reading

See also

★ GS mark

★ UL mark

★ CSA mark

★ International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

★ International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

★ SABS

References

1. New Approach Standardisation in the Internal Market - Directives & Standards
2. Inventor who coined euro sign fights for recognition

Further reading

★ Alura Group's CEMarking.Net - Extensive information about CE marking, as well as templates, checklists and guides

★ CE isareti

★ CE-Marking.org - Extensive information and guidance about CE marking

★ Conformance - European Product Safety and Environmental Directives

★ The United Kingdom official CE site

★ Ablewisp - listen to "CE Marking in 17 minutes"

★ CE marking Nordic AB - Information about CE marking for Northern Europe