Knowledgebase Details

Created:
16-3-01

Last
Update:
25-5-02

Low Voltage Directive: CE Certification
Procedure

THE CE-CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE

Before
the CE Marking may be affixed, the compliance of the
product with the applicable requirements must be
certified.

The CE-certification procedure of the
Low Voltage Directive consists of certain steps that
will be presented here.

Please be informed that
CEMarking.net can provide advice and assistance in all stages of the
certification process.

STEP 1: DETERMINE WHICH CE
DIRECTIVES APPLY TO THE PRODUCT

The first step in
the certification process is to determine which (other)
European CE Directives apply to the product. It is
possible that one product falls under the scope of more
than one CE Directive.

STEP 2: READ THE TEXTS OF
THE APPLICABLE DIRECTIVE(S)

Read the text of the Low
Voltage Directive and possible other applicable CE Directives.
The essential requirements for the product can be found
in the text.

STEP 3: APPLYING THE ESSENTIAL
REQUIREMENTS OR HARMONIZED STANDARDS

The
essential requirements that apply to the product are set
out in the Directive. They define the results to be
attained, or the risks to be dealt with, but do not specify the
manufacturing specifications or technical solutions for
reaching that result.

The manufacturer is free to
choose a technical solution as long as the final product
meets the result as defined in the essential
requirement.

Technical solutions for meeting the
essential requirements can be found in European harmonized
standards (EN-standards). However, please note that the
application of EN-standards is not mandatory.

The great advantage of using publicized
EN-standards is that it leads to a 'presumption of
conformity' with the essential requirements of the applicable
European Directives.

The European harmonized standards
are adopted by European standards organizations (CEN,
CENELEC or ETSI) upon a mandate issued by the European
Commission.

STEP 4: CONFORMITY
ASSESSMENT

The fourth steps in the CE
certification procedure relate to the actual assessment of the
conformity of the product with the essential requirements. In
order to prove the conformity of the product with the
essential requirements of the Directive and harmonized
standards, examinations and compliance tests are
necessary. The results of the tests must be
documented.

STEP 5: COMPILING OF A TECHNICAL FILE

The
Low Voltage Directive makes obligatory the compilation of
a Technical File containing information to demonstrate
the conformity of the product to the applicable
requirements. The Technical File must be kept available
for the national market surveillance authorities for at
least ten years from the last date of manufacture of the
product. The content of the Technical File depends upon the
nature of the product.

STEP 6: INSTRUCTION

The goal
of the European CE Directives is to minimize the health
and safety risks of the product for the user. For this
reason the Low Voltage Directive obliges to provide an
instruction about the safe installation, use,
maintenance and reparation of the
product.

Because it is essential that the user is able to
understand the (safety) instructions, it is obligatory to
provide a translation of the manual in the official
language(s) of the country where the product is being
placed on the market.

STEP 7: EC DECLARATION OF
CONFORMITY

The Low Voltage Directive imposes an
obligation for the manufacturer, his authorized representative
established within the Community or the importer, to draw up
an 'EC Declaration of Conformity' when the product is
placed on the market. This is more or less a legal
statement ensuring that the product satisfies the
essential requirements of the applicable directives.

The EC Declaration of Conformity must be kept for at least
ten years from the last date of manufacture of the
product, and must be made available to the surveillance
authority immediately upon request.

STEP 8: THE
AFFIXING OF THE CE MARKING

The CE certification
process is concluded with the affixing of the CE Marking
to the product.

The CE Marking indicates that the
product conforms with the relevant essential requirements, and other
applicable provisions, and that the product has been
subject to the appropriate conformity assessment
procedure(s). Hence, Member States are not allowed to
restrict the placing on the market and putting into
service of CE marked products, unless such measures can be
justified on the basis of evidence of the non-compliance of the
product.

The CE Marking consists of the initials
'CE'.

If the CE Marking is reduced or enlarged the
proportions must be respected.

The logo must have a
height of at least 5-mm.

The CE Marking must be
affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly.

The CE
Marking must be affixed to the product or to its data
plate. However, where this is not possible or not
warranted on account of the nature of the product, it must be
affixed to the packaging, if any, and to the accompanying
documents, where the directive concerned provides for
such documents.

The affixing of markings on the
product which are likely to deceive third parties as to
the meaning and form of the CE Marking is not allowed.
Any other marking may only be affixed to the product,
the packaging or a label provided that the visibility and
legibility of the CE Marking is not thereby reduced.

©
CEMarking.Net
No rights can be derived from this
text

Related Documents:

,

,

Related Publications:

Other Articles of Interest:

Low
Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC

Home
| News | Knowledgebase
| About
Us

©
CEMarking.Net. CEMarking.Net is a subsidiary of European Conformity Services and
Emergo Group Inc., an ISO 9001 registered company