What does CE certification of a product mean?
CE certification – the acronym for the French “Conformité Européenne,” which translates to European conformity – is mandatory for all non-food products sold in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). While it shares some characteristics with FCC certification, CE certification covers a broader range of products, with different requirements for each product type. The requirements and regulations are laid out in a series of CE Directives.
While there are a wide variety of directives, with regulations concerning everything from toy safety to noise emissions, to hazardous substances, to fertilizers. For electronic products specifically, there are several common CE Directives:
- Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive – This directive is similar to the FCC requirements covered in the preceding section. Essentially, the EMC directive ensures that the product does not interfere with other electronic devices and can tolerate interference from other devices.
- Radio Equipment Directive (RED) – This directive covers the requirements for products that use RF technology, ensuring they meet specific RF performance and safety requirements.
- Low Voltage Directive (LVD) – This directive requires certain design safeguards to product users from the risk of electrical shock, fire, or other potential electrical hazards.
- Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) – This directive ensures that the product does not contain certain hazardous substances, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and certain flame retardants.
- Machinery Directive – This directive covers broad product scope that all industrial machinery including interchangeable equipment, safety components, lifting accessories, removable mechanical transmissions, and partially completed machinery.