CE Mark testing
The CE mark and the paper work
In order to supply products to the European Union it is mandatory that these products comply with the requirements stipulated in CE and be labeled with these said CE requirements. The application of the CE mark to a product declares that the product complies with the applicable European Directives. The CE Mark will also facilitate cross border access of your product within the European Union.
• What is the CE Mark?
CE stands for European Conformity when translated into English, but is actually a French acronym for the term Conformité Européenne. The CE mark is a symbol used to show European authorities that a product meets the essential safety requirements for operator and environment. The CE mark is not a quality mark or guarantee, but is a type of passport for the device.
What are the requirements?
European regulatory requirements (laws) which are also called directives are developed and implemented by the European Commission. EMC and Electrical safety are requirements for electronic equipment. The European Directives that will mostly apply to electronic/electrical products are the EMC Directive 2004/108/EC, the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC, the R&TTE and the RoHS Directive.
Generally compliance with a series of European harmonized standards or European Norms (EN’s) is required to show compliance for each directive. Compliance with the relevant standards provides confidence that the equipment conforms to the essential requirements. If the equipment meets the requirements in the relevant standards the manufacturer can affix a CE mark to the equipment and generate a Declaration of Conformity (DoC).
Self-declaration:
There is no requirement for suppliers of electronic/electrical products to obtain a certificate or license from a governing body in order to obtain compliance. The manufacturer will self declare compliance with the applicable European Directives by completing a Declaration of Conformity and affixing the CE mark.
Declaration of Conformity:
The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is a one page document stating compliance of a product with each applicable directive and the relevant standards used to show compliance. The declaration of conformity is a type of statement that the product is believed to meet the essential requirements.
A copy of the DoC needs to be included in the shipping documentation for each piece of equipment shipped to the EU and must include the following:
- A description of the equipment;
- Reference to the standards tested to;
- The applicable Directives complied with;
- Identification and signature of the manufacturer or his authorized representative;
- A declaration that the apparatus conforms to the essential protection requirements.
- The manufacturer's name and address.
Technical File:
A Technical File should be held by the manufacturer and should include the Technical Test Report, the Declaration of Conformity and detailed Product Information, which must be kept available to the enforcement authority for ten years following the last date of manufacture (a subtle change from the first Directive, which referred to the last date of placing on the market)
A Technical File should be held for each product series and all compliance records should be in English. This file may need to be presented to a regulatory authority if a complaint is made regarding compliance of the product.
A CE mark should be affixed to the apparatus, or if this is not possible, to its packaging, instructions of guarantee certificate, in that order of priority