CE Marking
CE is an acronym for the French phrase "Conformité Européenne" and is similar to the UL or CSA marks in North America. Unlike UL or CSA which require independent laboratory testing, the CE mark can be applied by the manufacturer through a "self certifying" procedure that verify that the products are designed to the appropriate standards.
The European Union has issued 24 directives related to the CE mark.
Before manufacturers and exporters can CE-mark their products and legally sell them to, or within, the European common market, they must be in compliance with the applicable CE Marking Directive.
- The CE mark states that the manufacturer complies the product to be within applicable EU directives.
Note! The CE Marking is not a safety mark and must not be confused with a certificate. CE marking will never be granted by a third party test house or a certification body.1)
The manufacturer is responsible for non-compliance and liable for any damage caused by the product. If the manufacturer (or his authorized representative) is not based within the EU, the importer is responsible for the product in Europe.
If a product is not in compliance with the directives, it may be restricted, prohibited from sale or even withdrawn from the market.
1) Be aware that this is not always true. It depends entirely on which European Directive the CE-marked product has to comply with. For example the Pressure Equipment Directive # 97/23/CE requires a 3rd party ("notified body") for some products that have specific pressure & dimensional characteristics (that are specified in the directive), so you are not allowed to apply the CE mark (i.e. you can't sell your products & issue the CE certificate) if no notified body has approved your design/quality/manufacturing documents.
Related Topics
• Documentation
Documentation of process control systems - Block Flow Diagrams (BFD), Process Flow Diagrams (PFD), Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID) and more
• Electrical
Electrical units, amps and electrical wiring, wire gauge and AWG, electrical formulas and motors.
• Miscellaneous
Engineering related topics like Beaufort Wind Scale, CE-marking, drawing standards and more.
• Process Control
Instrumentation and process control systems - design and documentation.
• Risk, Reliability and Safety
Risk, reliability and safety in process control systems.
Related Documents
Hazardous Areas - European Classification Standard
European hazardous area classification with zones, protection types, temperature codes and codes.
Hazardous Areas - North America Classification
North American hazardous locations classification with classes, divisions and groups
Hazardous Areas - Protection Techniques according European IECEx
Hazardous areas protection techniques - explosion proof, flameproof and intrinsically safe.
Hazardous Areas Protection Techniques for North America
Dust-ignition proof, explosion proof, instrinsically safe and nonincendive protection of hazardous areas.
IP - Ingress Protection Ratings
IP - Ingress Protection rating is used to specify the environmental protection - or electrical enclosure - of electrical equipment.
Safety Signals - Recommended Colors
American National Standards Institutes schedule for safety colors marking physical hazards.
Value Engineering
Improved value by enhanced function.