Glossary · Machinery law and conformity
CE marking
Also known as: CE mark
German: CE-Kennzeichnung
Under EU product legislation, the CE marking is a marking by which the manufacturer indicates that it has declared the product to meet all applicable EU requirements that provide for the marking. It is affixed after the conformity assessment and the declaration of conformity, before the product is placed on the market.
- Compliance
- EU
In one sentence
CE marking shows the manufacturer’s declaration that a product meets all applicable EU requirements; it is not a quality or test mark.
Example
A CNC machine builder affixes the CE marking to the rating plate after completing the technical file and signing the EU declaration of conformity, covering both the machinery and the EMC legislation.
Explained in context
Context cards connect this term with others to answer one question. Also in British English and German.
- CRA product categories: default, important and criticalWhich CRA products need a notified body, and how many products fall into the stricter categories?UKDeutsch
- The Radio Equipment Directive: when sector law absorbs aspect requirementsWhy does the cybersecurity part of the Radio Equipment Directive create parallel compliance paths?UKDeutsch
How it applies
- Compliance: One CE marking covers all EU acts that apply to the product, for example machinery, EMC, radio equipment and, for products with digital elements, the CRA. The declaration of conformity must list them.
- Responsibility: The marking is the manufacturer's statement, not a certificate from a test lab. Where a notified body is involved in the production phase, its identification number follows the marking.
- Partly completed machinery: Partly completed machinery does not carry CE marking under machinery law; it comes with a declaration of incorporation and assembly instructions.
- Technical documentation: The marking is only defensible if the technical file and conformity assessment behind it exist and are current. A substantial modification can require a new assessment and marking.
CE marking under machinery law vs. the AI Act
High-risk AI systems also carry CE marking after their conformity assessment (AI Act). For AI embedded in machinery, the AI requirements are assessed within the machinery procedure, so the product still carries one CE marking.