Corporate Training Solutions

Existing in its present form since 1985, the CE marking indicates that the manufacturer or importer claims compliance with the relevant EU legislation applicable to a product, irrespective of where manufactured. By affixing the CE marking on a product, a manufacturer is declaring, at its sole responsibility, conformity with all of the legal requirements to achieve CE marking which allows free movement and sale of the product throughout the European Economic Area.

For example, most electrical products must comply with the Low Voltage Directive and the EMC Directive; toys must comply with the Toy Safety Directive. The marking does not indicate EEA manufacture or that a product has been approved as safe by the EU or by another authority. The EU requirements may include safety, health, and environmental protection, and, if stipulated in any EU product legislation, assessment by a Notified Body or manufacture according to a certified production quality system. The CE marking also indicates that the product complies with directives in relation to 'Electro Magnetic Compatibility - meaning the device will work as intended, without interfering with the use or function of any other device.

Not all products need CE marking to be traded in the EEA; only product categories subject to relevant directives or regulations are required (and allowed) to bear CE marking. Most CE-marked products can be placed on the market subject only to an internal production control by the manufacturer, with no independent check of the conformity of the product with EU legislation; ANEC has cautioned that, amongst other things, CE marking cannot be considered a "safety mark" for consumers.

CE marking is a self-certification scheme. Retailers sometimes refer to products as "CE approved", but the mark does not actually signify approval. Certain categories of products require type-testing by an independent body to ensure conformity with relevant technical standards, but CE marking in itself does not certify that this has been done.

The CE marking is a kind of trade passport for the European marketplace: it allows the manufacturer to freely circulate their product throughout the 30 countries of the European Union.

The benefit for manufacturers is that there is now only one set of requirements and procedures to comply with in designing and manufacturing a product for the entire EU. The various and conflicting national regulations are eliminated. As a result, the product no longer needs to be adapted to the specific requirements of the different member states of the EU. In addition, the benefit is the product will be safer for the user and this may also reduce damage and liability claims.

Often customers will look for CE marking on a product as an indication of the products performance. The product will be deemed safer for the user, due to the testing carried out on the product and this may also reduce damage and liability claims for the customer. The benefit for the customer is peace of mind.

It is a formal declaration by a manufacturer that the product to which it applies, meets all relevant requirements of all product safety directives. It is a sign that a product has been designed and constructed for compliance and has been through the appropriate conformity assessment processes. The DoC shall also contain the name and address of the manufacturer along with information about the product, such as the brand and serial number. The DoC must be signed by an individual working for the manufacturer or his/her authorized representative, and the employee's function shall also be indicated.

The DoP gives information about the essential characteristics of the product. A Declaration of Performance is drawn up when a product covered by a harmonised standard (hEN) or a European Technical Assessment (ETA) is placed on the market.

CE Marking is most probably required if you export to the 27 European Union (EU) and 3 European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states the following 20 groups of products -

Appliances Burning Gaseous Fuels (AppliGas)

The "appliances burning gaseous fuels" used for cooking, heating, hot water production, refrigeration, lighting or washing and having, where applicable, a normal water temperature not exceeding 105 gC. Forced draught burners and heating bodies to be equipped with such burners will also be considered as appliances.
The "gaseous fuel" means any fuel which is in a gaseous state at a temperature of 15 gC under a pressure of 1 bar.

Cableway Installations to Carry Persons

The "cableway installations designed to carry persons" shall mean installations made up of several components, designed, manufactured, assembled and put into service with the object of carrying persons. These on-site installations are used for the carriage of persons in vehicles or by towing devices, whereby the suspension and/or traction is provided by cables positioned along the line of travel.

Low Voltage Electrical Equipment

The "Electrical Equipment" means any equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of between 50 and 1000 V for alternating current (A.C.) and between 75 and 1500 V for direct current (D.C.). Therefore, it is called often "Low Voltage Electrical Equipment" which includes the vast majority of electrical equipment in everyday use.

Construction Products

The "construction product" means any product which is produced for incorporation in a permanent manner in construction works, including both buildings and civil engineering works.

Equipment and Protective Systems for Used in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres (Atex)

• Equipment means machines, apparatus, fixed or mobile devices, control components and instrumentation thereof and detection or prevention systems which, separately or jointly, are intended for the generation, transfer, storage, measurement, control and conversion of energy for the processing of material and which are capable of causing an explosion through their own potential sources of ignition.
• Protective systems mean design units which are intended to halt incipient explosions immediately and/or to limit the effective range of explosion flames and explosion pressures. Protective systems may be integrated into equipment or separately placed on the market for use as autonomous systems.
• Components mean any item essential to the safe functioning of equipment and protective systems but with no autonomous function. Explosive atmospheres Mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gases, vapours, mists or dusts in which, after ignition has occurred, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture.
• Potentially explosive atmosphere means an atmosphere which could become explosive due to local and operational conditions.

Explosives for Civil Uses

The "Explosives" here shall mean the materials and articles considered to be such in the United Nations recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods and falling within Class 1 of those recommendations.

Hot Water Boilers

The "hot-water boilers" here means a boiler fired by liquid or gaseous fuels with a rated output of between 4 kW and 400 kW (including 4 kW and 400 kW).

Lift

The "lift" here means an appliance serving specific levels, having a car moving along guides which are rigid and inclined at an angle of more than 15 degrees to the horizontal and intended for the transport of:
• persons,
• persons and goods,
• goods alone if the car is accessible, that is to say, a person may enter it without difficulty, and fitted with controls situated inside the car or within reach of a person inside.

Machinery

The "machinery" means
• an assembly of linked parts or components, at least one of which moves, with the appropriate actuators, control and power circuits, etc., joined together for a specific application, in particular for the processing, treatment, moving or packaging of a material,
• an assembly of machines which, in order to achieve the same end, are arranged and controlled so that they function as an integral whole,
• interchangeable equipment modifying the function of a machine, which is placed on the market for the purpose of being assembled with a machine or a series of different machines or with a tractor by the operator himself in so far as this equipment is not a spare part or a tool.

Measuring Instruments

The "measuring instrument" means: any device or system with a measurement function that is covered by Articles 1 and 3 of CE directive

Medical Devices

A "Medical Device" is defined in CE Directive (93/42/EEC) as: any instrument, apparatus, appliance, material or other article, whether used alone or in combination, including the software necessary for the proper application, intended by the manufacturer to be used for human beings for the purpose of:
• Diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of a disease, an injury or a handicap.
• Investigation, replacement or modification of the anatomy or of a physiological process.
• Control of conception
And which does not achieve its principal intended action in or on the human body by pharmacological, immunological or metabolic means, but which may be assisted by such means.

Active Implantable Medical Devices

The "active medical device" means any medical device relying for its functioning on a source of electrical energy or any source of power other than that directly generated by the human body or gravity
The "active implantable medical device" means any active medical device which is intended to be totally or partially introduced, surgically or medically, into the human body or by medical intervention into a natural orifice, and which is intended to remain after the procedure.

In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices

The "in vitro diagnostic medical device" means any medical device which is a reagent, reagent product, calibrator, control material, kit, instrument, apparatus, equipment, or system, whether used alone or in combination, intended by the manufacturer to be used in vitro for the examination of specimens, including blood and tissue donations, derived from the human body, solely or principally for the purpose of providing information:
• Concerning a physiological or pathological state, or
• Concerning a congenital abnormality, or
• To determine the safety and compatibility with potential recipients, or
• To monitor therapeutic measures.

Non-automatic Weighing Instruments

A "Weighing Instrument" is defined as a measuring instrument serving to determine the mass of a body by using the action of gravity on that body. A weighing instrument may also serve to determine other mass-related magnitudes, quantities, parameters or characteristics.
A "non-automatic weighing instrument" is defined as a weighing instrument requiring the intervention of an operator during weighing.

Radio Equipment & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE)

A "radio equipment" means a product, or relevant component thereof, capable of communication by means of the emission and/or reception of radio waves utilising the spectrum allocated to terrestrial/space radio communication.
A "telecommunications terminal equipment" means a product enabling communication or a relevant component thereof which is intended to be connected directly or indirectly by any means whatsoever to interfaces of public telecommunications networks (that is to say, telecommunications networks used wholly or partly for the provision of publicly available telecommunications services).

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The "personal protective equipment" means any device or appliance designed to be worn or held by an individual for protection against one or more health and safety hazards.

Simple Pressure Vessels

The "simple pressure vessel" means any welded vessel subjected to an internal gauge pressure greater than 0,5 bar which is intended to contain air or nitrogen and which is not intended to be fired.

Pressure Equipment

The "Pressure Equipment" means vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories.
Where applicable, pressure equipment includes elements attached to pressurized parts, such as flanges, nozzles, couplings, supports, lifting lugs, etc.
'Vessel` means housing designed and built to contain fluids under pressure including its direct attachments up to the coupling point connecting it to other equipment. A vessel may be composed of more than one chamber.
'Piping` means piping components intended for the transport of fluids, when connected together for integration into a pressure system. Piping includes in particular a pipe or system of pipes, tubing, fittings, expansion joints, hoses, or other pressure-bearing components as appropriate. Heat exchangers consisting of pipes for the purpose of cooling or heating air shall be considered as piping.
'Safety accessories` mean devices designed to protect pressure equipment against the allowable limits being exceeded. Such devices include:
- devices for direct pressure limitation, such as safety valves, bursting disc safety devices, buckling rods, controlled safety pressure relief systems (CSPRS), and
- limiting devices, which either activate the means for correction or provide for shutdown or shutdown and lockout, such as pressure switches or temperature switches or fluid level switches and 'safety related measurement control and regulation (SRMCR)` devices.
'Pressure accessories` mean devices with an operational function and having pressure-bearing housings.
'Assemblies` means several pieces of pressure equipment assembled by a manufacturer to constitute an integrated and functional whole.

Recreational Craft

The "Recreational craft" means any boat of any type, regardless of the means of propulsion, from 2,5 to 24 m hull length, measured according to the appropriate harmonized standards intended for sports and leisure purposes.

Toys

A "toy" shall mean any product or material designed or clearly intended for use in play by children of less than 14 years of age.

An EU Directive is a form of legislation that sets out requirements your products must meet in order to sell them into Europe.
The European Union introduced a series of measures to simplify the movement of goods throughout the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). Some of these measures are known as New Approach Directives. New Approach Directives provide controls on product design and above all, seek to harmonize product safety requirements across Europe.
The directives cover a very wide range of product areas including construction products, personal protective equipment and pressure equipment. Their primary objective is to ensure that the products are well designed, and safe for the user.
Throughout Europe, where a New Approach Directive is in force, it is necessary for the manufacturer to CE mark their product. CE marking requirements vary from Directive to Directive, and even within Directives.
Third-party testing, systems assessment and technical file assessments can be mandatory, but sometimes the manufacturer's unverified claim is all that's asked for. But beware! If you claim your product complies and it doesn't, you will be prosecuted. Where a Directive requires products and/or systems to be independently tested, certified, or inspected, this must be done by a "Notified Body" or "Competent Body".
We are a UK notified body for 17 EU Directives, which means we can provide you with professional guidance on how to meet all the essential requirements, so that your product can be bought to market quickly. We also offer one of the most comprehensive services in the world, enabling you to confidently and legally affix the CE mark to your products.

Responsibility for CE marking lies with whoever puts the product on the market in the EU, i.e. an EU-based manufacturer, the importer or distributor of a product made outside the EU, or an EU-based office of a non-EU manufacturer.
The manufacturer of a product affixes the CE marking to it but has to take certain obligatory steps before the product can bear CE marking. The manufacturer must carry out a conformity assessment, set up a technical file and sign a Declaration stipulated by the leading legislation for the product. The documentation has to be made available to authorities on request.
Importers of products have to verify that the manufacturer outside the EU has undertaken the necessary steps and that the documentation is available upon request. Importers should also make sure that contact with the manufacturer can always be established.
Distributors must be able to demonstrate to national authorities that they have acted with due care and they must have affirmation from the manufacturer or importer that the necessary measures have been taken.
If importers or distributors market the products under their own name, they take over the manufacturer's responsibilities. In this case they must have sufficient information on the design and production of the product, as they will be assuming the legal responsibility when they affix the CE marking.

There are certain rules underlying the procedure to affix the marking: They are,
1. Products subject to certain EU directives or EU regulations providing for CE marking have to be affixed with the CE marking before they can be placed on the market.
2. Manufacturers have to check, on their sole responsibility, which EU legislation they need to apply for their products.
3. The product may be placed on the market only if it complies with the provisions of all applicable directives and regulations and if the conformity assessment procedure has been carried out accordingly.
4. The manufacturer draws up an EU declaration of conformity or a declaration of performance (for Construction Products) and affixes the CE marking on the product.
5. If stipulated in the directive(s) or regulation(s), an authorized third party (Notified Body) must be involved in the conformity assessment procedure or in setting up a production quality system.
6. If the CE marking is affixed on a product, it can bear additional markings only if they are of different significance, do not overlap with the CE marking and are not confusing and do not impair the legibility and visibility of the CE marking.
7. Since achieving compliance can be very complex, CE-marking conformity assessment, provided by a notified body, is of great importance throughout the entire CE-marking process, from design verification, and set up of the technical file to the EU declaration of conformity.

Depending on the level of risk of the product, the CE marking is affixed to a product by the manufacturer or authorized representative who decides whether the product meets all the CE marking requirements. If a product has minimal risk, it can be self-certified by a manufacturer making a declaration of conformity and affixing the CE marking to own product. In order to self-certify, the Manufacturer must do several things:

1. Decide whether the product needs to have a CE marking and if the product applies to more than one directive it needs to comply with all of them.
2. Choose the conformity assessment procedure from the modules called out by the directive for the product. There are several modules available for the Conformity Assessment Procedures as listed below:
• Module A – Internal production control.
• Module B – EC type-examination.
• Module C – Conformity to type.
• Module D – Production quality assurance.
• Module E – Product quality assurance.
• Module F – Product verification.
• Module G – Unit verification.
• Module H – Full quality assurance.
These will often ask questions about the product to classify the level of risk and then refer to the "Conformity Assessment Procedures" chart. This shows all the acceptable options available to a manufacturer to certify the product and affix the CE marking.
Products considered to have a greater risk have to be independently certified by a notified body. This is an organization that has been nominated by a Member State and has been notified by the European Commission. These notified bodies act as test labs and carry out the steps as listed in the directives mentioned above and then decided whether the product has passed. A manufacturer can choose its own notified body in any Member State of the European Union but should be independent of the manufacturer and a private sector organization or a government agency.

In reality the self-certification process consists of the following stages:

Stage 1: Identify the applicable Directive(s)

The first step is to identify whether the product needs to bear CE marking or not. Not all products are required to bear CE marking, only the products that fall within the scope of at least one of the sectoral directives requiring CE marking. There are more than 20 sectoral product directives requiring CE marking covering, but not limited to, products such as electrical equipment, machines, medical devices, toys, pressure equipment, PPE, wireless devices and construction products.
Identifying which directive(s) may be applicable, as there may be more than one, involves a simple exercise of reading the scope of each directive to establish which apply to the product (An example of the scope of the Low Voltage Directive below). If the product does not fall within the scope of any of the sectoral directives, then the product does not need to bear CE marking (and, indeed, must not bear CE marking).

Low Voltage Directive (2006/95/EC)

Article 1 states the Directive covers "any equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of between 50 and 1000 V for A.C. and between 75 and 1500 V for D.C, other than the equipment and phenomena listed in Annex II."

Stage 2: Identify the applicable requirements of the Directive(s)

Each Directive has slightly different methods of demonstrating conformity depending on the classification of the product and its intended use. Every Directive has a number of ‘essential requirements’ that the product has to meet before being placed on the market.
The best way to demonstrate that these essential requirements have been met is by meeting the requirements of an applicable ‘harmonised standard,’ which offer a presumption of conformity to the essential requirements, although the use of standards usually remains voluntary. Harmonised standards can be identified by searching the ‘Official Journal’ on the European Commission’s website, or by visiting the New Approach website established by the European Commission and EFTA with the European Standardisation Organisations.

Stage 3: Identify an appropriate route to conformity

Although the process is always a self-declaration process, there are various ‘attestation routes’ to conformity depending on the Directive and classification of the product. Some products (such as invasive medical devices, or fire alarm and extinguisher systems) may, to some extent, have a mandatory requirement for the involvement of an authorised third party or "notified body".
There are various attestation routes which include:
• Assessment of the product by the manufacturer.
• An assessment of the product by the manufacturer, with additional requirement for mandatory factory production control audits to be carried out by a third party.
• An assessment by a third party (e.g. EC type test), with the requirement for mandatory factory production control audits to be carried out by a third party.

Stage 4: Assessment of the product's conformity

When all of the requirements have been established, the conformity of the product to the essential requirements of the Directive(s) needs to be assessed. This usually involves assessment and/or testing, and may include an evaluation of the conformity of the product to the harmonised standard(s) identified in step 2.

Stage 5: Compile the technical documentation

Technical documentation, usually referred to as the technical file, relating to the product or range of products needs to be compiled. This information should cover every aspect relating to conformity and is likely to include details of the design, development and manufacture of the product.
Technical documentation will usually include:
• Technical description
• Drawings, circuit diagrams and photos
• Bill of materials
• Specification and, where applicable, EU declaration of conformity for the critical components and materials used
• Details of any design calculations
• Test reports and/or assessments
• Instructions
• EU declaration of conformity
Technical documentation can be made available in any format (i.e. paper or electronic) and must be held for a period of up to 10 years after the manufacture of the last unit, and in most cases reside in the European Economic Area (EEA).

Stage 6: Make a declaration and affix the CE marking

When the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative is satisfied that their product conforms to the applicable Directives, an EU declaration of conformity must be completed or, for partly completed machinery under the Machinery Directive, an ECU declaration of incorporation.
The requirements for the declaration vary slightly, but will at least include:
• Name and address of the manufacturer
• Details of the product (model, description and the serial number where applicable)
• List of applicable sectoral Directives and standards that have been applied
• A statement declaring that the product complies with all of the relevant requirements
• Signature, name and position of the responsible person
• The date that the declaration was signed
• Details of the authorised representative within the EEA (where applicable)
• Additional Directive/standard specific requirements
In all cases, except for the PPE Directive, all of the Directives can be declared on one declaration.
Once an EU declaration of conformity has been completed, the final step is to affix the CE marking to the product. When this has been done, the CE marking requirements have been met for the product to be placed legally on the EEA market.

There are mechanisms in place to ensure that the CE marking is put on products correctly. Controlling products bearing CE marking is the responsibility of public authorities in member states, in cooperation with the European Commission. Citizens may contact national market surveillance authorities if the misuse of the CE marking is suspected or if a product's safety is questioned.

The procedures, measures and sanctions applying to counterfeiting of the CE marking vary according to the respective member state's national administrative and penal legislation. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, economic operators may be liable to a fine and, in some circumstances, imprisonment. However, if the product is not regarded as an imminent safety risk, the manufacturer may be given an opportunity to ensure that the product is in conformity with the applicable legislation before being forced to take the product off the market.

If the conformity assessment procedures for your product mandatorily require the involvement of a Notified Body then you will need to put details of the Notified Body, and what they have done for you, on your Declarations.

The final implementation dates in 2016 are the end of the grace period. Most of the new directives were put in place in 2014, some before that. There has already been at least a two year transition period to prepare for the introduction of the N.L.F. and the dates in 2016 are final.

If you own brand the product you will be considered to be the manufacturer even if the products are manufactured for you by someone else. As such you will be responsible for making sure the product complies with all aspects of any applicable directives, creating the Technical File, ensuring there is a quality procedure in place to maintain consistency of manufacture, carrying out sample testing and any other duty specified in the conformity assessment procedures for each applicable directive.

No, in general the technical requirements of the directives remain unchanged and any test reports should remain valid as long as the test standards used are in date. However, as the format of the Declaration of Conformity is changing and the previous versions of the directives will be repealed on the dates the new directives come into effect, new declarations of conformity will be required and this would be a good time to review technical files and ensure test data is referenced to current standards.

Under the N.L.F. tighter requirements will be placed on Notified Bodies to show their competence and to establish consistency between the accreditation procedures in different countries. Where Notified Bodies are required as part of conformity assessment procedures the requirements remain largely unchanged although there is no longer a conformity assessment procedure involving a Notified Body in the L.V.D.

ISO 9000 registration (or EN 29000 certification) is used widely in Europe on a voluntary basis as a condition of acceptance of a manufacturer's product or as a way of recognizing the manufacturer's credibility. While a quality system such as ISO 9000 indicates that a company has an efficient organization structure and has low failure costs, it does not always certify conformity with the CE marking directives. However, some directives require use of a quality management system as part of the conformity assessment.

For example, the Machine Directive requires manufacturers to set up a quality control system to make sure that future products coming off an assembly line meet CE marking requirements. However, the quality control system does not have to be ISO 9000, although ISO 9000 is a good choice, since it is widely recognized. The Medical Device Directive does require ISO 9000 (EN 13485) as part of the conformity assessment process.

No, a major challenge for 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. 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. Companies and test houses must keep up-to-date on these new standards that will force changes in their testing and design plans.

European national agencies, such as Customs authorities and/or the Departments of Health, Industry and Labor, have been appointed to conduct market surveillance for CE marking. The purpose of this surveillance is to ensure that the provisions of the New Approach Directives have been met for products marketed within the European Union. In pursuit of this goal, surveillance authorities will:
• Visit commercial, industrial and storage premises on a regular basis;
• Visit work places and other premises where products are put into service and used;
• Organize random checks; and,
• Take samples of products for examination and testing.

The surveillance authority can ask for the manufacturer's declaration of conformity and technical file after making a random check. The manufacturer, his authorized representative or the importer must be able to provide the technical file within seven to 10 days after the surveillance authority makes the request. If the product is found to be noncompliant, corrective action will depend on and be appropriate to the level of noncompliance.

The surveillance authority will hold accountable the person responsible for affixing the CE marking to the noncompliant product. Others responsible for the noncompliance of the product will be held accountable as well. Penalties, which may include imprisonment, are determined by national law.

Once you have satisfied the conformity assessment requirements for CE marking you must attach the CE marking to your product or its packaging. There are specific rules for using the CE marking for your product, as well as rules for the reproduction of the CE marking logo.

In general you should attach the CE marking to the product itself but it may also be placed on the packaging, in manuals and on other supporting literature. Rules covering the use of the CE markings vary depending on the specific EU directive that applies to the product and it is advisable to study the applicable guidance. The following general rules all apply:

CE markings must only be placed by you - as the manufacturer - or your authorised representative the CE marking cannot be placed on products which are not covered by the relevant European directives when attaching the CE marking, you take full responsibility for your product’s conformity with the requirements of the relevant directives you must only use the CE marking to show the product’s conformity with the relevant directives you must not place any marking or sign that may misconstrue the meaning or form of the CE marking to third parties other markings placed on the product must not cover up the CE marking

Member states will ensure they implement the regime governing the CE marking. They will take appropriate action in the event of improper use of the marking and provide for penalties for infringements, which may include criminal sanctions for serious infringements. Those penalties will be proportionate to the seriousness of the offence and constitute an effective deterrent against improper use

The general principles of the CE marking are contained within Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 which sets the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products. You can read the CE marking regulations on the Europa website.

Depending on the specifics of the directive that covers your product, you must make sure that: the initials ‘CE’ are in the standard, recognisable form if you reduce or enlarge the size of your marking the letters CE must be in proportion to the standard version the CE marking is at least 5 millimetres - unless a larger minimum dimension is specified in the relevant directive the CE marking is placed onto the product or to its data plate - if this is not possible or not warranted because of the nature of the product, it must be placed onto the packaging and accompanying documents the CE marking is easily visible, readable and permanent

If you are thinking, how to find the best CE-Marking consultant for CE-Marking certification, then you are in safe hands. We provide one of the most exhaustive suites of CE-Marking consulting services to help the companies plan, design, implement, monitor, control, improve and enhance their management system. Our CE-Marking consultants are known for being innovative, simple, practical and effective; resulting in an CE-Marking implementation process that is value adding to the business operations of the organization. We follow a well-documented approach for all CE-Marking certification requirements. We value time and understand how important it is for you to achieve CE-Marking certification in quick time. We believe in total customer satisfaction and customer delight. We are always willing to go an extra mile to keep our clients happy. Our CE-Marking Consultanting solutions are suitable for organizations of all sizes irrespective of their location, number of employees, turnover, nature of business etc. We provide 100% customized solutions to your CE-Marking certification requirements. Achieve CE-Marking certification through us and fast forward your journey towards growth, success and profitability.

Selecting and using an CE-Marking consultant
Undertaking the implementation of an CE-Marking standard can seem daunting, especially if it is a completely new experience! Taking CE-Marking certification without any external assistance is possible but the success and effectiveness of CE-Marking implementation depends on the level of experience you have, especially when resources are an issue. If you like to do the CE-Marking implementation yourself, our state of art CE-Marking implementation software will come handy for you. If you’d simply like an experienced hand for assurance, it is worth considering an CE-Marking consultant like QGlobal. We can offer both online and onsite CE-Marking consulting services.

Choosing the right CE-Marking consultant for you
When choosing any potential supplier, one of the first questions to ask is if they have any experience in your sector, and it’s just as important when it comes to CE-Marking consultants. If CE-Marking cnsultants are appreciative of the typical management problems your organisation has, their past experience should help to add value. A good CE-Marking consultant doesn’t just leave you with a compliant system, they should be helping with the engagement of your management team and staff to ensure the system is properly integrated and genuinely adds value. If this doesn’t happen, keeping CE-Marking certification going over the long-term will become a burdensome inconvenience rather than the business improvement tool it should be. This is one of the areas where QGlobal can make a difference because we always engage CE-Marking consultants who have in depth industry knowledge.

Retaining control
It’s important to remember that this is your CE-Marking management system - an CE-Marking consultant shouldn’t be the only one to see it! Be wary of any CE-Marking consultant that attempts to impose a ‘one size fits all’ solution. If you don’t retain control of your management system, you will be forever reliant on the CE-Marking consultant from that point on. As such - from the outset - it’s important to agree what the ‘project’ will entail; generic procedures that are lengthy and not related to your business processes will only lead to frustration and extra cost of maintenance. At QGlobal, we often assists our clients to build their own internal team for the up keeping of CE-Marking management system after the completion of CE-Marking certification process.

Cost considerations
As mentioned above, it’s imperative that you agree CE-Marking consultancy costs before you commit to anything. Most CE-Marking consultants will visit you free of charge initially; some CE-Marking consultants even include a free review of your existing processes to see how much work is required in order to the meet the requirements of the relevant CE-Marking standard. This meeting should give the CE-Marking consultant enough information to then quote a fee for getting you prepared for a successful CE-Marking audit from an CE-Marking Certification Body. Whilst day rates can vary greatly, you can of course reduce costs by choosing a local CE-Marking consultant in order to minimise travel and sustenance fees. Whilst we are often asked how much CE-Marking consultancy will cost, there is no typical fee as this will depend on what state you are in now, how complex and large your organisation is, and how much hand holding you are looking for. In this area QGlobal can offer a great pricing.

Guaranteed CE-Marking certification
Many CE-Marking consultants will claim ‘guaranteed CE-Marking certification’. Of course, this is a marketing ploy, but generally it is at least a sign of confidence that the CE-Marking consultants will get you through the formal CE-Marking audit successfully! In truth, creating a compliant CE-Marking management system is not that difficult. However, from our point of view, using an CE-Marking consultant is not a guarantee you will achieve CE-Marking certification when the CE-Marking consultant you hire is not good enough.
Instead, an CE-Marking consultant should be judged on their ability to help your organisation realise the full benefits. CE-Marking standards are meant to improve efficiency, co-operation, motivation and service as a result of establishing a system where your people know what to do, and how to do it effectively. This should ultimately save your organisation time and money, whilst being a tool to improve productivity and a can-do attitude. As with any type of CE-Marking consultant, always ask for references to ensure the above is achieved and do not commit until you are aware of the costs upfront.

Tips for choosing an CE-Marking Consultant
Although not a requirement of the CE-Marking standard, some organisations like to use CE-Marking consultants to help with the implementation of an CE-Marking standard. Whilst it can take away an element of ownership, choosing an experienced CE-Marking consultant can add value and make the CE-Marking implementation that bit smoother. As CE-Marking consultancy fees can exceed that of the CE-Marking certification itself, choosing an CE-Marking consultant should be carefully considered. To help you make an informed choice, we have listed the following 10 considerations, followed by some common FAQs.

Top 10 CE-Marking Consultant Considerations
Does the CE-Marking consultant have relevant qualifications (with verifiable evidence)?
Does the CE-Marking consultant have solid references (which you can contact independently)?
Is the CE-Marking consultant a member of any recognised professional organisations?
Has the CE-Marking consultant had past experience of working with a similar business to yours?
Will the CE-Marking consultant be required to do any CE-Marking training, and do they have an CE-Marking training qualification?
Does the CE-Marking consultant have enough resources to cope with your requirements? Ask what back-up they have.
If considering an CE-Marking consultancy firm, check what staff turnover’s been like (i.e. will you deal with the same person throughout)?
How much will the CE-Marking consultant charge and how will fees be calculated?
Are the CE-Marking consultants financially stable? You can credit check them to give yourself some assurance that they’ll be around in the future.