Welcome to the CE marking!
The CE marking scheme has been developed to support a single European trade market with harmonized standards. This economic area, where goods, capital, services and labor can move freely, requires a common understanding. Based on the so-called (New Approach Directives),
CE marking became the mandatory European method by which conformity of certain product groups with the essential requirements of these directives is identified. Glass products are subject to the Construction Product Directives 89/106/EEC.
What is CE Marking (CE Mark)?
CE Marking is the symbol as shown on the Left of this page. The letters "CE" are the abbreviation of French phrase "Conformité Européene" which literally means "European Conformity". The term initially used was "EC Mark" and it was officially replaced by "CE Marking" in the Directive 93/68/EEC in 1993. "CE Marking" is now used in all EU official documents.
"CE Mark" is also in use, but it is NOT the official term. For instance, in the Directive 2007/47/ec, of 5 September 2007, amending the directives 90/385/eec, 93/42/eec & 98/8/ec, the term CE Markingappears 9 times whereas CE Mark appears nowhere in the entire 35-page document.
1. CE Marking on a product is a manufacturer's declaration that the product complies with the essential requirements of the relevant European health, safety and environmental protection legislation, in practice by many of the so-called Product Directives.*
*Product Directives contains the "essential requirements" and/or "performance levels" and "Harmonized Standards" to which the products must conform. Harmonized Standards are the technical specifications (European Standards or Harmonization Documents) which are established by several European standards agencies (CEN, CENELEC, etc).
CEN stands for European Committee for Standardization.
- CENELEC stands for European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.
- CE Marking on a product indicates to governmental officials that the product may be legally placed on the market in their country.
- CE Marking on a product ensures the free movement of the product within the EFTA & European Union (EU) single market (total 28 countries)
- CE Marking on a product permits the withdrawal of the non-conforming products by customs and enforcement/vigilance authorities.
- Along with more directives' becoming effective, more and more products are required to bear the CE Marking for gaining access to the EFTA & European Union market. However, many non-EU exporters are still unaware of or unsure about this fact and its impact on their business
Obtaining the CE Mark
Before the CE Mark may be affixed to a product and legally sold within the European Union, the manufacturer or exporter must complete the following: Prepare Technical Documentation (Technical File) to show the product's compliance with applicable essential requirements and conformity assessment procedures of the applicable device directive.
- Prepare a "declaration of conformity" which means that you, as a manufacturer, declare that your product fulfills the requirements of the applicable directive.
- According to some directives you must also receive a product-specific CE marking certificate from a Notified Body.
