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About the CE Marking

 

 

Prior to the creation of the Single European Market, the authorities within each country were responsible for ensuring that products complied with national standards.

The Single European Market was formed in 1985 with the aim of promoting the free circulation of products, services and people across the whole European Union (EU).

In order to achieve this, specific measures were sought to eliminate technical barriers, along with the standardisation of the legislation in place across the different Member States.

The standardisation of legislation led to the creation of the “New Approach” Directives which set out the essential requirements that products must comply with in order to be commercialised within the territory.

Before a specific directive comes into force, the CE Marking is not compulsory for products that are covered by that directive.

During the transitory period, the CE Marking is optional, although the product may only be commercialised if it complies with the conformity assessment procedure for at least one of the applicable directives. During this period, products must comply with the standards or regulations currently in force on a national level.

Once this period is over, non-compliant products may no longer be commercialised, even if they were manufactured prior to the implementation date of said directive.

The European Commission created the Technical Harmonisation Directives and the Conformity Assessment Procedures with a view to breaking down the technical barriers obstructing the free circulation of products within the European Union (EU).

The main objective is to boost the European Internal Market while safeguarding the essential requirements which ensure that products do not present a risk to people, animals, goods and/or the environment, and facilitating the control mechanisms of the common market and clarifying the obligations of economic agents in relation to the market, without imposing unnecessary obstructions (as reflected in the Council Decision 93/465/CEE).