Identify the applicable legislation
Find every EU directive or regulation that requires CE marking for your product. A kettle, for example, falls under the Low Voltage Directive, the EMC Directive, RoHS and Ecodesign at the same time.
Your EU partner for CE marking, certification & compliance
CE marking is not a certificate you buy. It is the manufacturer's declaration that a product meets every EU law that applies to it, backed by testing and a technical file. For most products the manufacturer completes the process without any third party; for higher-risk products a Notified Body must be involved.
Find every EU directive or regulation that requires CE marking for your product. A kettle, for example, falls under the Low Voltage Directive, the EMC Directive, RoHS and Ecodesign at the same time.
Each act sets essential requirements (safety, EMC, radio, health). Harmonised standards listed in the Official Journal give a presumption of conformity with them.
Check whether self-assessment (Module A, internal production control) is allowed or a Notified Body must be involved.
Test against the harmonised standards, in-house or at an accredited laboratory, and carry out a risk assessment.
Description, drawings, risk assessment, standards applied, test reports. See what the technical file must contain.
Draw up and sign the EU Declaration of Conformity, then affix the CE mark correctly.
| Product examples | Typical legislation | Notified Body? |
|---|---|---|
| Mains-powered appliances, lamps, power supplies | LVD 2014/35/EU, EMC 2014/30/EU, RoHS 2011/65/EU, Ecodesign | No |
| Products with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS, NFC, cellular | RED 2014/53/EU, RoHS | Sometimes |
| Machines, power tools, lifting equipment | Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 from 20 January 2027 | For listed high-risk machinery |
| Gloves, helmets, high-visibility clothing, respirators | PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 | Category II and III |
| Toys | Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC (replaced by Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 from 1 August 2030) | Where harmonised standards are not fully applied |
| Construction products | Construction Products Regulation (Declaration of Performance; new CPR (EU) 2024/3110 being phased in) | Depending on the AVCP system |
Products not covered by any CE marking legislation must not carry the CE mark. They still have to be safe under the General Product Safety Regulation - see getGPSR.eu.
The manufacturer carries out the conformity assessment and signs the Declaration of Conformity. An importer must check that this has been done before placing the product on the EU market. A distributor or importer who sells the product under its own name or trade mark, or modifies it substantially, becomes the manufacturer. For many CE-marked products, an economic operator established in the EU must also be named on the product.
With self-assessment and products that already pass the standards, CE marking can take a few weeks, mostly laboratory lead time. With a Notified Body, EU-type examination usually adds several months. Failed tests and redesigns are the most common cause of delay - a pre-compliance scan before formal testing saves time.
For most products nobody does: the manufacturer declares conformity in the EU Declaration of Conformity. Only where the legislation requires a Notified Body does a third party issue a certificate, such as an EU-type examination certificate.
Not in practice. You must show that the product meets the essential requirements, and test reports against harmonised standards are the usual evidence. The technical file must contain them.
No. CE marking is valid in all EU Member States and the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway). Instructions and safety information must still be in the language of each country where the product is sold.
Yes. The same rules apply whether a product is sold in a shop, on a marketplace or shipped directly from outside the EU to an EU consumer.
Self-assessment or third-party certification.
What the documentation must contain.
Scope & Roadmap to Full Certification Support.
Note: This guide provides general information about EU product legislation, not legal advice. Check the current legal texts on EUR-Lex for your product. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Tell us where your company is based, your product sector and how far your documentation is. Before any engagement, we send you a proposed compliance route.