(International Trade Canada) Canadian companies thinking of exporting products to the European Union (E.U.) countries should be aware of the CE mark --a prerequisite to selling certain products in the E.U.
The mark is a general
product certification logo that does not belong to a specific product certification organization. It shows that a product meets E.U. health, safety and environmental requirements. The European New Approach initiative
aims at helping to achieve a single market, with the European community having developed a set of directives, which outline common requirements.
As a general rule, all New Approach directives require the CE mark
on products. In some cases, however, directives may exclude the application of the CE mark on certain products, even if the directive otherwise applies to the product. It is also important to note that although the CE
mark is essential for certain products in order to access any E.U. member country, there may still be other requirements set by individual member states.
It is estimated that half of the products imported by the
E.U. require a CE mark. The directives cover products such as medical devices, telecommunications products, construction materials and elevators. Directives, related information and standard references can be found
here. Standards can be purchased from the European organizations identified on this site.
Alternatively, the Standards Council of Canada recommends IHS Canada as a domestic source for purchasing standards at 1-800-267-8220 or www.ihscanada.ca
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