The CE mark (an acronym for the French "Conformite Europeene") certifies that a product has met EU health, safety, and environmental requirements, which ensure consumer and workplace safety. All manufacturers in the European Union (EU) and abroad must meet CE mark requirements where applicable in order to market their products in Europe. For a list of countries that require the CE mark, see: CE Mark Countries. Once a manufacturer has earned a CE mark for its product, it may affix the CE mark to its product, and then the product may be marketed throughout the EU without having to undergo further modifications in each member state. As 10 new "accession" countries, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe became EU members on May 1, 2004, the CE mark now provides product access to 25 countries with a population of 430 million.

Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive list of the products that require a CE mark. Therefore, it is the manufacturer's responsibility to determine if a product requires a CE mark. The "New Approach Directives" are documents that contain the legislation issued by the European Commission on the requirements that need to be met and procedures that must be followed in order for a particular product to be CE mark certified and to be sold in the EU.

In order to determine if your product needs a CE mark, you should look in each directive that you judge as related to your product. The Trade Information Center has developed a guide to assist in the CE Mark process. The CE Mark Guide will explain the route to CE mark certification step-by-step and in one place.

To gain assistance or get more information about the CE Mark, click here.