>Treggers, > Rick >CE Value Added
The CE mark is a legal requirement and should not be considered as anything else. However, It may be value added in that a high percentage of European IT customers are aware that the CE marks application to a product confirms its compliance with the minimum legal and regulatory requirements for Europe. Marks which are intended to be value added are the BSI kite mark, the BABT tick mark and the new EMC mark (egg mark !). Let's travel back in time to the Pre CE mark days. You had to comply with the individual Legal and Regulatory requirements of each of the 16 European countries covering a minimum of 3 technical areas (Performance, EMC and Safety) There was a limited number of mutual agreements in place between test laboratories or governments. (A UK test report was more readily accepted in the colonies than it was in Europe) This resulted in the preparation of approximately 48 individual test reports (Local testing required in most cases) (I know the UK had no EMC requirements prior to the EMC directive) Followed by 16 + applications to PTT's or Government bodies. You would then have been in the position to apply the various approval marks. BABT, VDE, SEMKO etc........(about 20 individual labels) In summary as the CE mark replaces approximately 20 other labels then there is some cost saving on the final product, the Homologation process and the number of product variants. Chris Penney - Freelance Tel +44 1235 766009 Fax +44 1235 766953 [email protected]
