CE conformity marking : EMC directive and German EMC legislation ; impact on manufacturers and products.

The Council of the EU has decided that industrial products covered by the technical harmonization directives can be placed on the market only after the manufacturer has affixed the CE marketing to them. The definition of the "placing on the market" of a product differs significantly from the concept of the "market launch" of a product as commonly used in industry. Even so-called "old products" must be marked as complying with the EMC directive if they are to continue to be placed on the internal EU market from 1st January 1996. This work shows what is expected of the manufacturers and importers of technical products and the impact these requirements have to them. The background of the CE marking is discussed and the subject matter examined using the EMC directive as an example. The consequences of these requirements, the necessary actions and costs are also addressed.