Apprenticeships guidance for employers
Guide
Make best use of standards
How to show your products meet EU legal requirements
Many types of products must satisfy European product directives before you can sell them on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA). These directives aim to protect the health and safety of product users. They also remove technical barriers to trade.
CE marking
Products subject to the European directives normally have to carry CE marking when on sale in the EEA. Harmonised European standards provide the simplest way of demonstrating that your products comply.
Putting the CE marking on your product acts as your declaration that the item meets the relevant legal requirements. How you go about getting CE marking and putting it on your product depends on the product and EU directive in question.
Important: The UK has left the EU on 31 January 2020 and has entered a transition period. This period will run until the end of 2020 while the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements. You can continue to use the CE marking if you're placing certain goods on the UK or the EU market until 1 January 2021.
Are EU standards relevant to my products?
Standards can help you comply with EU directives covering a wide range of products, including:
- appliances burning gaseous fuels
- construction products
- electrical and electronic apparatus in terms of their electromagnetic compatibility
- equipment and protective systems in potentially explosive atmospheres
- gas appliances
- household appliances in terms of the noise they emit
- lifts
- low voltage equipment
- machinery, mechanical equipment and safety products
- medical devices
- new hot water boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fluids
- non-automatic weighing instruments
- outdoor construction and gardening equipment in terms of the noise they produce
- personal protective equipment such as gloves, helmets and protective clothing
- pressure equipment such as industrial pipework and pressurised storage containers
- radio and telecommunications terminal equipment
- recreational craft
- toys
See also products that need CE marking and find out how to place CE marking on a product.
Testing and certification for products
Each individual directive generally specifies how you must show your product meets the relevant requirements. You may have to:
- produce a self-declaration that your product complies - usually backed up by your own, or independent test results
- get your product inspected or tested by an authorised independent testing body
Using a standard helps ensure you comply with the law when manufacturing products for sale in the EU. But standards aren't obligatory - you can use a different way of meeting your legal requirements if you wish.