CE mark

How to read it

CE marking is governed by Regulation (EC) No 765/2008. Only the manufacturer or its authorised representative may put the mark on a product, and by doing so the manufacturer takes responsibility for the product’s conformity with every EU harmonisation law that provides for the mark (Article 30). It goes only on products those laws cover, such as toys, drones, electrical and electronic equipment, machinery, personal protective equipment and medical appliances, and not on anything else. The European Commission’s examples of where you’ll find it are a new phone, a teddy bear and a TV, and Your Europe says the mark lets a product be moved and sold freely in the EU regardless of where it was made.

Also searched as: ce logo, ce marking, ce mark meaning, ce symbol, conformité européenne.

Who checks it

No central EU body gives permission or a certificate to use the CE mark, Your Europe says. The manufacturer assesses the product, gathers the technical documentation and signs an EU declaration of conformity. For some higher-risk products, such as medical devices, construction products and machinery, the law requires an independent notified body to assess the product, and that body’s four-digit number then appears next to the CE mark. Your Europe also warns that some organisations offer “voluntary certificates” that are not valid for CE marking. Answering a question from a Member of the European Parliament in November 2024, the European Commission said the mark shows that the manufacturer or importer affirms the product complies with EU health, safety and environmental protection standards, and that it does not guarantee the quality of a product.

What the regulation says about its shape

Annex II of the regulation gives the mark as a graduated drawing of the initials CE, each letter built on a circle. If the mark is reduced or enlarged, the drawing’s proportions must be kept, and unless a product’s own law sets other dimensions it must be at least 5 mm high. Your Europe adds that both letters must be the same height, and that the mark may appear in different styles (in colour, solid or hollow) as long as it stays clear. Decision No 768/2008/EC says it goes on the product or its data plate, or on the packaging and accompanying documents where that isn’t possible, and may be followed by a pictogram or another mark for a special risk or use.

A statement about one moment

The CE mark refers to the product as it was when it was placed on the market. Your Europe notes that if someone modifies the product after sale, CE compliance may no longer apply, and the manufacturer may not be responsible for the altered product.

Look-alikes

In the same 2024 answer the Commission said that an unrelated “CE” logo, the “China Export” logo, looks almost the same as the CE marking; the only difference it named is that the two letters are closer together. Article 30 of the regulation prohibits markings likely to mislead people about the meaning or form of the CE marking, and member states must act against improper use, with penalties that may include criminal sanctions for serious infringements. Other marks may appear beside the CE mark as long as they don’t impair its visibility, legibility or meaning. In the United States, the FCC mark on many of the same electronic devices belongs to a different system, the Federal Communications Commission’s rules on radio-frequency devices.