CE Marking: Specific CE Marking FAQs
ONCE A U.S. COMPANY HAS CERTIFIED ITS PRODUCT WITH THE CE MARKING, IS ITS WORK DONE?
No, a major challenge for U.S. firms that have CE-certified their products is to stay current on new standards coming on stream for their products. For example, the European standards bodies have developed some 900 standards for the Low Voltage Directive and around 185 standards for the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC). Not only are new standards being issued, but these new standards in some cases have replaced standards that companies may have met earlier. European customs may look for reference numbers of widely-used standards on the Declaration of Conformity to assure compliance of products entering Europe. U.S. companies that use EMC or low voltage standards that have been replaced are considered to be noncompliant with CE marking requirements.
Germany is one of the stricter countries for enforcing CE marking requirements. In a recent year the European Commission brought some 200 cases against companies, many in Asia, for noncompliance with the Low Voltage Directive. Some of these cases resulted in bans from the European market. U.S. companies and test houses must keep up-to-date on these new standards that will force changes in their testing and design plans.
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