The CE mark and why you need to get it right
February 15, 2019
The EU’s CE mark has been making the news of late, as not only does it have implications for British businesses post-Brexit, there is also a risk of confusing it with the Chinese CE mark, which comes with problems of its own.
Last week, The Recycler reported on the issue of the CE mark in the UK post-Brexit, when it will be superseded by the UKCA mark – although both marks will still be recognised for an unconfirmed “grace period”.
During this period, products that have not yet been CE-marked will have to be assessed and then given the UKCA mark. Meanwhile, British businesses exporting to the EU will have to make sure their products have been reassessed and remarked by an EU-recognised conformity assessment body before they are placed on the market.
While firms in the UK get to grips with this new system of conformity assessment for their products, European businesses have been facing some degree of confusion over the last few years over the similarity between the EU CE mark and the Chinese CE mark. This is a subject covered in a feature by The Recycler in Issue 307 of the magazine.
As we explain, the similarity between the two marks has been causing bewilderment for a few years, with an article by Yachting and Boating World warning of the similarity and the potential implications for resellers. The look-alike nature of the marks was also noted and analysed a few years later in 2014 by Asia Quality Focus.
Regarding the European CE mark, the EC gave out detailed information for manufacturers on the matter of the EU CE mark, enumerating the 6 steps which need to be taken to have a CE marking affixed to their product.
To find out more about how to identify a genuine EU CE mark, and the requirements for it, be sure to check out our feature, shown above.
Categories : Around the Industry
