What is the CE Certificate / CE Marking?

Since 1995, the CE marking has been used within the European Union to indicate that a product manufactured anywhere in the world conforms to EU product safety legislation. The supporting document is known as the CE Certificate or CE Declaration of Conformity. We are at your service with 25 years of experience and a specialist team in CE certification. To apply online or get a quote, call +90 850 533 07 77, or send us the quick quote form.

When a product is intended to enter the European Union or is produced within Europe, the manufacturer is responsible for producing it under the directives that apply to the product. The manufacturer is the sole party responsible for every legal process related to the product.

With CE certification the manufacturer declares that the product meets the essential safety requirements and will not harm people or the environment. The certificate acts as a kind of passport for the product, allowing it to be traded easily on the European market.

The certificate must be obtained by the manufacturer or importer before the product is placed on the EU market. CE stands for "Conformité Européenne", which translates as European Conformity. The certificate shows that specific standards have been met across the design, production, and testing stages of the product. The CE marking is required in many product categories, including electronic devices, toys, medical devices, construction materials, and others.

Products Requiring CE Certification

CE certification is compulsory for many product categories produced or imported in European Economic Area (EEA) countries. These categories include:

Electronic devices: computers, phones, tablets, televisions, radios, audio systems, video games, and similar items.

Medical devices: hospital equipment, medical devices, surgical instruments, and similar items. Toys: every toy designed for babies, children, and adults. Construction materials: every material used in building construction, including cement, glass, doors, windows, and similar items.

Pressure equipment: cylinders, pipes, pressure vessels, and similar items.

Personal protective equipment: gloves, masks, eye protection, headgear, footwear, and similar items.

Automotive products: vehicles, vehicle accessories, tyres, brakes, and similar items. Agricultural equipment: tractors, agricultural machinery, garden equipment, and similar items. Energy products: generators, solar panels, batteries, and similar items.

Lifts: lifts, escalators, moving walkways, and similar items.

Many products outside these categories may also need CE certification. The CE marking provides for the product's free movement on the EU market and is an important requirement for manufacturers and importers wishing to import into the EU.

How to Obtain CE Certification

To obtain CE certification, follow these steps:

Conformity with essential requirements: confirm that the products meet the essential requirements set by the EU.

Technical file preparation: manufacturers must prepare a technical file with detailed information on product design, production, and testing.

Conformity assessment: manufacturers must carry out a conformity assessment to demonstrate that products meet EU standards. The assessment must cover detailed information on product design, production, testing, and certification. For some products, manufacturers must apply to an authorised body to confirm conformity with EU standards.

CE marking: products must carry the CE marking.

Manufacturer declaration: manufacturers must declare that their products meet EU standards. The declaration is the manufacturer's responsibility and must be provided alongside the CE certificate. CE certificate application: manufacturers must submit an application to obtain the CE certificate. The application involves the manufacturer or importer submitting documents that demonstrate conformity with EU standards to an authorised body.

Evaluation: the authorised body evaluates products' conformity with EU standards. Based on the evaluation, the CE certificate may or may not be issued. If issued, the products can be placed on the EU market and move freely within it.

Obtaining the CE certificate is an important process for manufacturers, and the right certification and testing processes must be followed.

Countries Requiring the CE Certificate and CE Marking

A product required to carry CE certification can be placed on the market or manufactured with the CE Certificate in every EU member state. CE certification is also compulsory in the EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein) and, beyond these, in Türkiye. Under EU harmonisation laws, 29 directives carry the same obligation in Türkiye as in EU countries. As of 2013, CEFTA countries (Central European Free Trade Agreement) including North Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro have signed agreements that come under this regulation.

Rules for the CE Certificate and CE Marking

The manufacturer or importer must carry out the conformity assessment for the product, sign the declaration of conformity together with a technical file, and complete the required steps. These required steps vary with the directives that apply to the product.

Product importers must request and check the required documents for the product. The importer or distributor takes on full responsibility from the moment they receive the product and place it on the market, so they must have sufficient knowledge of the product's design and production.

Procedures for affixing the CE marking include:

Stages of the CE Certification Process:

Stage 1: Identifying the applicable directive

The first step is to determine whether the product requires the CE marking. Products that fall under at least one of the directives published by sector must carry the CE marking. A product may fall under more than one directive, and if no directive applies, the product is not required to carry the CE marking.

Stage 2: Identifying the directive's requirements

Each directive may be assessed differently depending on the product's intended use and risk factors. Every directive has a reference number that must be met before the product is placed on the market. When working with standards, the first question is whether a harmonised standard exists for the product. If one exists, the process is easier.

Stage 3: Setting a roadmap for the conformity assessment

Identifying product requirements and the conformity assessment body based on the product's risk assessment.
Evaluation of the product.
Setting up a Factory Production Control system for third-party audits.
Carrying out EU-type tests for third-party audits.

Stage 4: Carrying out the product's conformity assessment

Determine whether the product meets every requirement covered by the directive, including carrying out type tests on the product or providing for conformity with the required conditions.

Stage 5: Preparing the technical documents

The technical file must be prepared in line with the norms and directives that apply to the product. The information must cover the product's design, development, and product details.

Information required in the technical file:

EU Declaration of Conformity and Affixing the CE Marking

The information required for the CE Declaration of Conformity, the EU Declaration of Conformity, and the CE Declaration varies with the product and the directive, but in general it must include the following:

Declaration of Conformity

It must include the manufacturer's information (name, address), product information, standard performance data, and a legal signature.

Which Product Groups Require the CE Marking

How is Mutual Recognition of Conformity Assessment Handled?

Many mutual recognition agreements exist between the European Union and countries such as the United States, Japan, Canada, and Israel. As a result, these countries recognise CE-marked products from EU countries and from other countries. In Türkiye, the same directives have been enacted through harmonisation laws, so recognition is at law level.

How Should the CE Marking Be Applied?

E Marking

The E marking is the marking of the European Union regulation on motor vehicles. It should not be confused with the CE marking.

China Export

Chinese products use the abbreviation of the China Export marking as CE on products to mislead consumers. The European Union acts against these products for infringement of trademark rights.

Legal Consequences of Misuse of the CE Certificate and CE Marking

Legal mechanisms govern the use of the CE Certificate and CE marking on the correct products. Verifying the marking and the required oversight mechanisms fall to state authorities.

In Türkiye this authority lies with the ministries the products fall under. For example, market surveillance of construction products lies with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation.

Improper use of the CE marking is a matter for the legal authorities of the relevant country. For example, in Türkiye, a product that should carry the CE marking but does not fulfil the required obligation can face penalties of up to TRY 30,000.

Eurocert EQC is among the leading firms issuing CE certification in Türkiye and Europe.

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