CE marking and Declaration of Conformity

CE mark obligatory for most products in the European Union

CE mark design

CE mark design
Source: European Commission

Many European directives stipulate that a CE mark has to be applied to the products in question. A CE mark on a product serves as a declaration to the authorities that the product

  • complies with all valid European regulations and
  • has undergone the specified conformity-assessment procedures.

Who is responsible for attaching the CE mark to the product?

The most important point is that the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that the product complies with the European regulations and for attaching the CE mark to the product, irrespective of whether said manufacturer is based in or outside the European Community. The manufacturer can appoint an authorised representative domiciled within the European Community to perform these duties on the manufacturer's behalf.

CE marks and certification marks

The CE mark should not be confused with marks such as the GS mark or the DGUV Test mark. Only in special cases has a product bearing the CE mark been tested by an independent testing and certification body - this is not indicated by the CE mark. In the case of the GS and DGUV Test marks, the production process is also inspected.

The conformity declaration and CE marking are by no means equivalent to (voluntary) testing and certification by an impartial body.

CE mark design

The design to be used for the CE mark is specified in precise detail. A minimum height of 5 mm is required to ensure that it is legible. According to the Directives relating to machinery, personal protective equipment, active implantable medical devices, medical devices, potentially explosives atmospheres, lifts (as regards safety components), in vitro diagnostic medical devices, and radio and telecommunications terminal equipment the minimum dimension of the CE marking may be waived for small devices. The same applies to the conformity mark provided for in the Directive on marine equipment. But the proportions must be adhered to.

The DGUV Test testing and certification bodies - happy to help

Our testing and certification bodies will be happy to help with any questions you might have about CE marks or conformity assessment procedures.

Useful links

More information on CE marking

Contact

Secretariat DGUV Test
Alte Heerstraße 111
53757 Sankt Augustin
Tel: +49 30 13001-4566
Fax: +49 30 13001-864566