By introducing the CE marking into its legislation, the EU has developed an innovative instrument to remove barriers from the circulation of goods and to protect public interest.
Existing in its present form since 1993, the CE marking is a key indicator of a product’s compliance with EU legislation and enables the free movement of products within the European market. By affixing the CE marking on a product, a manufacturer is declaring, on his sole res - ponsibility, conformity with all of the legal requirements to achieve CE marking, and is therefore ensuring validity for that product to be sold throughout the European Economic Area (EEA – the 27 Member States of the EU and EFTA countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein). This also applies to products made in third countries which are sold in the EEA.
CE marking does not indicate that a product was made in the EEA, but merely states that the product is assessed before being placed on the market and thus satisfies the legislative requirements (e.g. a harmonised level of safety) to be sold there. It means that the manufacturer has verified that the product complies with all relevant essential requirements (e.g. safety, health, environmental protection requirements) of the applicable direc - tive(s) – or, if stipulated in the directive(s), has had it examined by a notified conformity assessment body.
However, not all products must bear the CE marking. Only those product categories subject to specific directives that provide for the CE marking are required to be CE marked. CE marked products are bought not only by professionals (e.g. medical devices, lifts, machinery and measuring equipment) but also by consumers (toys, PCs, mobile phones and light bulbs).