CE marking

By placing the CE marking on your product, you are declaring that your product complies with all applicable European Union (EU) directives. You should only place the CE mark on your product if:

• it is subject to one or more of the directives
• it conforms to the essential requirements of the directive(s)

You must not affix CE marking to products that are out of scope of the EU directives. Find out what products need CE marking.

Who is responsible for CE marking?

Only the manufacturer, or their authorised representative, must affix the CE marking. The manufacturer may be established inside or outside the EU, while the authorised representative must be established with the EU.

When attaching the CE marking, the manufacturer ultimately takes full responsibility for their product's conformity with the requirements of ALL relevant EU directives.

If an importer or a distributor place a product on the market under their own name or trade mark, or modify the product, they then take over the manufacturer's responsibilities. This includes the responsibility for the conformity of the product and the affixing of the CE mark.

Affixing the CE marking

You must affix the CE marking to the product before you place it on the market. This typically takes place at the end of the production phase. If you affix the CE mark by stamping or casting, you can add it at any stage of production if you have verified the conformity of the product.

As a rule, you should affix the CE marking to the product or its data plate. In certain circumstances, you can place it instead on the packaging, in manuals and other supporting literature.

If a notified body is involved in the production phase of the product, the notified body's identification number must follow the CE marking. Bear in mind that UK conformity assessment bodies can no longer carry out mandatory conformity assessment for products being placed on the EU market.

CE marking logo requirements

Depending on the particulars of the directive that applies to your product, you must make sure that the CE marking:

• consist of the initials 'CE' in the standard, recognisable form
• is legible and at least 5mm in height (unless specified differently in the directive)
• remains proportional to the original, if you reduce or enlarge the size of your mark
• is easily visible, readable and permanent

Find example CE marking logos on the Europa website.

You must not cover up CE marking with other markings affixed to the product, or use any marks to misconstrue the meaning or form of the CE marking to third parties.

Rules covering the use of the CE marking may vary depending on the specific EU directive that applies to the product.

You can find comprehensive guidance on the implementation of EU product rules in the so-called Blue Guide.