What is CE marking?

CE-märkning

They signify that products sold in the EEA have been assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.

If you live in the European Economic Area (EEA), then you must have seen “CE” marking very often on many products you are buying and/or using. 

 

The letters “CE” stand for Conformité Européenne, which means in agreement with the EU directives (national legislators in the EEA countries) . The “CE” marking was introduced in the early 1990s as a way for all manufacturers to ensure and prove that their products complied with the requirements of the directives.

When a product is CE marked, it means whether the manufacturer is certified by the authorities in its industry or  the importer have met the requirements for the EU health, environmental and safety standards. Usually, that also means that the manufacturer outside the EEA countries has a representative in the EEA countries which holds a complete documentation of the products. These representatives also act as the contact person in case any problem occurs with the products. 

 

In most cases where products are considered to be hazardous and need to be tested and examined for quality, the manufacturer must turn to one or more independent third party bodies, which are called the “Notify Body”. These bodies are accredited and recognized by the EEA Member States to perform testing, inspection and certification. Certifying their products means that the organization has an outside, neutral party review and assessment whether they meet the requirements of the requirements standard.

 

For more information regarding CE marking: European Commission’s page.