If you’re an electronics manufacturer aiming to market your product in the European Economic Area (EEA), understanding and complying with CE certification is crucial.

This comprehensive guide explains the process of CE certification, as well as the requirements you’ll need to comply with to achieve compliance and add the CE marking to your device.

For more information about CE compliance, or to request a free quote for your device, contact us online or call us at 866-540-5287 to talk to our team.

What is CE Electrical Certification?

CE certification, which denotes Conformité Européenne (French for “European Conformity”), is a mandatory conformity mark for products that are sold within the European Economic Area, or EEA.

The EEA is a multi-nation marketplace that consists of the European Union, as well as non-EU states such as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. It’s home to 453 million people, as well as a large, diverse range of businesses and organizations. 

The CE marking symbolizes that a product complies with EU health, safety and environmental protection standards. Essentially, it’s similar to a passport for your device that allows it to go on sale throughout the European Market.

In addition to acting as a quality indicator, the CE mark is also a declaration by you, as a device manufacturer, that your product meets all the legal requirements of the relevant European Union directives. 

In total, there are 24 directives that govern products that require a CE marking. These directives vary between different classes of products, with electronics, medical devices and other types of products subject to their own standards and regulations.

Like FCC compliance/certification, acquiring CE certification involves testing your device against a range of standards and verifying that it operates within the allowed levels. Our full guide to CE electrical certification discusses these standards and test procedures in more detail. 

CE Certification Requirements for Electronic Devices

Electronic devices are subject to numerous CE requirements to ensure they meet the European standards for safety, health and environmental considerations. 

The following sections break down the compliance requirements for CE certification:

Health and Safety

The primary concern of CE certification is to ensure that electronic devices are safe to use. This means that your device needs to demonstrate that it does not pose any health or safety risks to end users.

Safety considerations include electrical safety (prevention of electric shock), mechanical safety (stability and resistance to mechanical stress) and chemical safety (non-use of substances that can cause harm). 

As a manufacturer, you’ll need to assess safety risks that are associated with your product and demonstrate how these risks have been minimized.

Electromagnetic Compatibility

In addition to following health and safety regulations, your electronic device also needs to meet the European standards for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

These standards ensure that your device doesn’t emit an excessive amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI). If your device produces significant EMI, it may affect the functioning of other devices in the same area.

In order to comply with EMC standards, your device will also need to demonstrate the minimum level of immunity, meaning it’s able to withstand EMI without malfunctioning. 

RoHS Compliance

Under the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, hazardous materials may not be used in electrical devices. These hazardous materials include lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances that can affect human health and wellbeing.

Compliance with RoHS is a key part of CE compliance, as it ensures that your device is safe for end users and the environment.

WEEE Compliance

Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, device manufacturers are required to manage electronic waste responsibly. 

To achieve WEEE compliance, you’ll need to create a strategy for reducing the environmental impact of your electronic waste. This forms a key part of the European Economic Area’s efforts to promote sustainability and environmental protection. 

Technical Documentation

In addition to complying with all of the EU’s relevant standards, you’ll also need to compile and maintain technical documentation for your device. 

This documentation needs to include descriptions of the design, manufacture and operation of your device. It needs to demonstrate that your device complies with all CE standards, and that it’s remained compliant following changes and/or updates.

Technical documentation for CE compliance typically involves technical drawings, schematics, bills of materials, and documents that describe your device’s manufacturing process. 

How to Achieve CE Compliance

Identify the Appropriate CE Standards for Electronics

Not all products that require a CE mark are subject to the same standards. For example, the EU has established directives for different classes of products, from medical devices and equipment used in industrial facilities to household appliances and children’s toys.

As such, the first step in achieving CE compliance is to identify the standards and directives that apply to your device.

For most electronic devices, the most relevant directives are the following:

• Low Voltage Directive (LVD)
• Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC)
• Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS)
• Radio Equipment Directive (RED)
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE)
• Eco-Design Directive 
• Battery Directive

In many cases, one or several of these directives may apply to your device, meaning you’ll need to achieve compliance with multiple directives in order to gain a CE mark for your device. 

Not sure which directives apply to your device? Contact us and our engineering team will inform you about the directives you’ll need to comply with and the specific tests you’ll need to complete to gain a CE marking.

Complete CE Testing for Your Device

The second step in achieving CE compliance is to complete CE testing for your device. This part of the process involves working with an accredited testing laboratory to verify that your device fully complies with the appropriate CE standards.

Testing for CE compliance generally involves electronic safety tests, testing for electromagnetic compatibility, and other test procedures. 

As specialists in product testing, our team can carry out testing for your device and prepare the documentation you need to achieve CE certification. 

Prepare an EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC)

The EU Declaration of Conformity is a document that declares your product meets all relevant CE requirements. It’s prepared by the manufacturer or by your authorized representative in the European Union. 

Your Declaration of Conformity must include information such as your details as a manufacturer, a description of your device, CE directives and standards complied with and the signature of the individual responsible for your product’s compliance.

Add the CE Mark to Complete the CE Certification Process

Once the requirements for compliance are met, you’ll need to add the CE mark to your device’s packaging. This mark acts as confirmation that your device complies with all standards required for access to the European Economic Area.

The CE marking needs to be visible, legible and permanent. Our team can help you with adding the official CE marking to your device’s packaging and documentation to make sure you comply with all relevant EU legislation. 

Contact Us About CE Testing & Compliance

Complying with European regulations and getting a CE mark is a key step towards entering the European Market. As we mentioned earlier, the CE mark is like a passport for your product that provides access to one of the world’s largest, most important markets.

In order to achieve CE certification and affix a CE mark to your product, you’ll need to complete testing and demonstrate compliance.

Because devices can vary in type and design, there’s no one-size-fits-all process for compliance for every device. Our team can help you learn more about the process and understand what you will need to do to achieve CE compliance for your product and enter the European market.

To request a free quote for testing your device or ask our engineers a question about CE testing and certification, contact us online or call us directly at 866-540-5287.