Only the manufacturer of the product (or his authorised representative) may affix CE marking. By affixing the CE Marking the manufacturer declares on his sole responsibility that the product conforms to all applicable Union legislative requirements, and that the appropriate conformity assessment procedures have been successfully completed.
The manufacturer, whether established inside or outside the Union, is the entity ultimately responsible for the conformity of the product with the provisions of the Union harmonisation legislation and for the affixing of the CE marking. The manufacturer may appoint an authorised representative to affix the CE marking on his behalf. By affixing the CE marking on a product, a manufacturer is declaring, on his sole responsibility, conformity with ALL of the legal requirements to achieve CE marking.
If the importer or distributor or another operator places products on the market under his own name or trademark or modifies them, he then takes over the manufacturer’s responsibilities. This includes the responsibility for the conformity of the product and the affixing of the CE marking. In this case he must have sufficient information on the design and production of the product, as he will be assuming the legal responsibility when affixing the CE marking.
The CE marking must be affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly to the product or to its data plate. The CE marking can take different forms (e.g. colour, solid/hollow) as long as it remains visible, legible and respects its proportions. It must also be indelible so that it cannot be removed under normal circumstances without leaving noticeable traces (for example some product standards provide for a rub test with water and petroleum spirits). Nevertheless, this does not mean that the CE marking must form an integral part of the product.
The CE marking may not, in principle, be affixed until the conformity assessment procedure has been completed to ensure that the product complies with all the provisions of the relevant Union harmonisation acts. This will usually be at the end of the production phase. This poses no problem if, for example, the CE marking is on a data plate that is not affixed to the product until after the final inspection. However, if the CE marking is affixed by stamping or casting, the marking can be affixed at any other stage of the production phase, provided that the conformity of the product is verified as part of the production process.
Affix CE Marking with notified body ID number
Where a notified body is involved in the production control phase according to the applicable Union harmonisation legislation, its identification number must follow the CE marking. The manufacturer or the authorised representative affixes the identification number if the legislation so requires, under the responsibility of the notified body.
Read More
Does the CE marking have to be affixed directly to the product?
