What does a CE marking mean?
The CE mark is a Europe-wide agreement on the safety of products in the European Union. There are many rules governing the CE mark. On some product groups within the European Economic Area (EEA) a CE mark is mandatory. The EEA consists of all countries within the European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. If your product falls within one of these product groups, you are obliged to place a CE mark. It is not intended to place a CE mark on a product that does not fall within one of the product groups, in fact it is prohibited to do so.
For which products is CE-marking mandatory?
The CE mark applies to more than 20 product groups. For example LED lights, construction products, gas appliances, toys, measuring instruments, mobile phones and lifts. The Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO.nl) has published an overview of directives which make CE marking mandatory.
Who is responsible for affixing the CE mark?
It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to determine whether a product meets the requirements. The manufacturer must also apply a CE marking. Was the product made outside the European Economic Area (EEA)? Then the importer of the product must check whether the product meets the requirements and whether it bears the CE marking.
Brengt de importeur de producten onder zijn eigen naam op de markt? Dan neemt hij daarmee de verantwoordelijkheden van de fabrikant over en moet hij zelf de CE-markering aanbrengen. Een ondernemer mag geen CE markering aanbrengen op een product waarvoor dat niet verplicht is. Doet hij dit toch, dan maakt hij zich schuldig aan misleiding.
Control of CE marking
In the Netherlands, various authorities inspect products for which CE marking is mandatory. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, for instance, checks whether gas appliances meet the legal requirements. And the Inspectorate SZW checks, for example, equipment in explosive environments. RVO.nl provides an overview of the inspecting authorities for each product group.
Products that do not comply with CE marking requirements
A product that does not meet the legal requirements will not be CE marked. This only applies if the marking is compulsory within that product group. It may also not be placed on the market. Does an inspection authority find a product that is wrongly CE marked? Then various measures are possible. The authority may, for example, require the manufacturer to modify the product or remove the product from the market. Serious situations may even lead to criminal prosecution.
Requirements for vehicle lighting and work lamps
To be eligible for a CE mark, products must demonstrably comply with the following regulations:
- Directive 2014/35/EU Low Voltage Directive (Note: applicable for electrical equipment designed for a nominal DC voltage between 75V and 1,500V);
- General Product Safety; Directive 2001/95/EG
- Directive 2014/30/EU Electromagnetic Compatibility
(For Tralert® products, this is concretely elaborated in the ECE-R10 legislation); - Directive 2011/65/EU Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
(Known as the RoHS directive).
