|
|
CE Marking Directives
There are over 20 different CE marking Directives. If one or more of the Directives apply to your product, then it is a legal requirement (in most cases) to CE mark it.
Further details
From the mid-1990's it has been a legal requirement to CE mark your product, if it falls within the scope of one or more of the CE marking ‘New Approach’ Directives, before it can be legally placed on the market (or put into service) in the EU. A unique aspect of these New Approach Directives is their containing of ‘essential requirements,’ the compliance with which is intended to ensure that the health and safety requirements for products have been met prior to their use.
For a CE marking Directive to be a legal requirement, it must be implemented it into national law by way of a regulation and statutory instrument in the UK. (The Construction Products Directive is an example of one such Directive that is not currently mandatory in the UK.) However, it is the Directives to which the manufacturer (or his authorised representative) is required to declare conformity to on the product’s associated Declaration of Conformity. (It is important to note that that whilst it is a legal requirement to CE mark a product that falls within the scope of at least one CE Marking Directive, which then allows the product to be legally placed on the market in the EU, additional regulatory requirements may apply to particular products, depending on the country in which the product is being placed on the market.
 An EU Directive is a legislative act of the European Union, which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result which, at least in principle, needs to be transposed into national law. A Directive can be distinguished from an EU Regulation which is a legislative act of the European Union that becomes immediately enforceable as law in all Member States simultaneously and does not require any implementing measures. Directives normally leave member states with a certain amount of leeway as to the exact rules to be adopted.
Directives and regulations can be adopted by means of a variety of legislative procedures depending on their subject matter.
Hide |
Which Directives applies to my Product?
Each Directive has a scope, which describes in detail the types of products to which the Directive applies. The scope is often open to interpretation which can create confusion for manufacturers who are trying to decide if a particular Directive applies to their product. To further complicate matters, there are often overlaps with other Directives and specific exclusions for some product types. For example, a mains powered electrical appliance that falls within the scope of the EMC and Low Voltage Directives would be excluded from the scope of these Directives if the appliance is to be declared in compliance with the Medical Devices Directive.
The CE Marking Directives:
• Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
• Machinery
• Low Voltage
• Simple Pressure Vessels
• Pressure Equipment
• Toys
• Construction Products
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Non-automatic Weighing Instruments
• Medical Devices
• Active Implantable Medical Devices
• In-vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices
|
• Appliances Burning Gaseous Fuels
• Efficiency requirements for hot-water boilers
• Explosives for Civil Uses
• Equipment for use in Explosive Atmospheres
(ATEX)
• Recreational Craft
• Lifts
• The Eco-design of Energy using Products (EuP)
Directive/ Energy related Products (ErP) Directive
• Radio and Telecommunications Terminal
Equipment (RTTE)
• Measuring Instruments
|
Examples of some products that can be CE Marked; such as an wireless communication device, PPE or an electrical appliance.
What if no CE Marking Directives apply?
My product does not fall within the scope of any of the above Directives; do I still need to CE mark my product?
No! It is illegal to incorrectly CE mark your product, or to CE mark a product that does not fall within the scope of any of the Directives listed above, however, there are many other European product compliance Directives that may apply to your product that you may need to meet, some of which have their own individual marking requirements.
Other CE Marking related Directives
There are many other Directives, Regulations or EU commission Decisions that are closely related to CE Marking, product compliance or safety such as the CE Marking Directive itself, the General Product Safety Directive, the Energy Using and Energy Related Products (EuP & ErP) Directives, the WEEE Directive (WEEE symbol, pictured right), the RoHS Directive, and the Batteries and Accumulators (and Waste Batteries and Accumulators) Directive to name but a few. Some of these Directives/Regulations are mandatory, whilst others are not, depending on several factors.
|
