What Does CE Marking Mean?

CE marking is mandatory for most products sold in the European Economic Area. But what does it actually mean?

CE is a declaration, not a certificate. For most product categories, CE marking is a self-declaration by the manufacturer. The manufacturer assesses the product against applicable EU directives and regulations, prepares technical documentation, draws up a Declaration of Conformity, and affixes the CE mark. No independent testing is required for many product categories.

CE is not a quality mark. CE marking only confirms that the product meets minimum safety, health, and environmental requirements. A product can have CE marking and still be of poor quality.

CE is not the same as "China Export." A visually similar mark with different letter spacing is sometimes called "China Export" — but this has no legal meaning and is not an official mark. The genuine CE mark has specific proportions defined by EU regulations.