“CE” is a safety certification mark and regarded as the passport for manufacturers enter into European market. Usually the products affixed with “CE” marks can be sold in EU member countries and no need to meet every country’s requirement, so as to drive the free circulation of products in EU members.
The “CE” mark belongs to compulsory certification mark in EU market, the products no matter produced in internal EU enterprises or other countries have to affix with “CE” mark to prove the products conform to the basic requirements of EU directive of New Method of Technical Coordination and Standardization. This is a compulsory requirement raised by EU law.
The two words “CE” is abbreviation of French “Communate Europpene” which means European Community. Afterwards the European Community developed to European Union (EU for short).
In recent years, more and more CE marks are used on the products sold in European Economic Area (EU, EFTA members, except Switzerland), the products affixed with CE marks indicate the safety, hygiene, environmental protection and consumer protection those series of requirements expressed by European directives are met.
In the past, the requirements raised by European Community countries were different for products imported and sold, the product made according to one country’s standard will likely be failed to enter into the another market, in order to make an effort for eliminating trade barriers the CE emerged at the right moment. So CE represents the unified regulation of Europe (CONFORMITE EUROPEENNE). Actually, CE is the abbreviation of European Community, originally it was abbreviated to EC, then the French of European Community was COMMUNATE EUROPEIA, Italian was COMUNITA EUROPEA, Portuguese was COMUNIDADE EUROPEIA, Spanish was COMUNIDADE EUROP and etc., EC changed to CE. Of course the CE might as well regarded as CONFORMITY WITH EUROPEAN （DEMAND）(conform to European (Demand)).
The significance of CE mark: the products affixed with CE mark shown with CE abbreviations conform to the essential requirements specified by European directives, and it used for proving the product has passed the relevant conformity assessment procedures and/or manufacturer’s declaration of conformity , and it will actually to be the passport for product allowed into European Community market. The industrial products required to affixed with CE mark by relevant directives are not allowed into market if without CE mark, and it will be asked to withdraw the products if found not conform to requirements, it will be confined or prohibited to enter into EU market or forced to exit the market if the products violate the relevant directives concerning CE mark regulation.
1、The applicable products for CE certification
Which products the CE mark apply to? What time does it come into effect? The European Community issued directives implementing CE mark as follows, there is a list clarifying applicable products, directives number, release date, implementation date and etc.
2、CE relevant directives
Electromagnetic Compatibility
With the development of electrical and electronic technology, the electromagnetic environment is becoming more and more degraded and complex, the electromagnetic compatibility problems of electrical and electronic products have been paid more attention by the governments and manufacturers.
The European Community (EC) sets the rules that all electrical and electronic products have to pass the EMC certification, only with the CE mark can the products sold in EC market.
According to the EU’s electromagnetic compatibility directives 89/336/EEC, all the electrical and electronic products sold in EU market have to in conformity with EU laws in terms of the interference to other products and interference immunity to outside influence they cause.
Machinery Directive
For some consumption goods the safety of machinery is the major problem people care about, and protecting personal, animal and property from harm have paid more and more attention by the whole world especially the widening European markets. For the mechanical product manufacturers who want to sell their products in EU, applying for CE certification mark is to state their products have passed the required tests according to products types and properties.
EU Machinery Directive （89/392/EEC）applies to facility, mobile machinery, mechanical device, machine used for lifting and carry people, security accessory. The essential health and safety requirements (EHSR) stated in regulations cover the whole mechanical engineering field and regarded as the vitally important aspect of industrial society.
3、CE certification of electric bicycle
EN 15194 standard is the first international comprehensive safety standard for electric power bicycle. Since July 2009, electric power bicycle in in the standard range have to pass EN15194 certification if want to inter into the EU market. EN15194 taking effect means EU will increase the entry threshold for electric power bicycle. So how to meet the new standard is going to be a big challenge for the electric power bicycle manufacturers, and at the same time it’s a good chance for industrial upgrading and market development of enterprises.
EN15194 standard range:
-EPACs shall not exceed 48 V；
- the maximum power shall not exceed 250W;
- when the speed reach 25 km/h, output power weakened gradually until power fail;
- this standard is not belong to EU safety instruction 2002/24/EEC.
The electric power bicycle new standard is far more complicated than the current bicycle standard (EN14764:2005). The new standard involves machinery safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electric safety.
Machinery safety standard: the test requirement according to bicycle standard （EN14764:2005）
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standard: the aim is to insure the hearing-aid users and cardiac pacemaker users keep safe when they drive motorcycles, cars or electric power bicycles. Since July 2009, all the electric power bicycles sold in EU market have to pass the EMC test required by new standard.
EN15194.
Electric safety standard: the requirements relate to circuit, battery, wire and connection, power control.
EN 15194 notes
--- EPACs exceed the speed of 25 km/h should apply for E-MARK certification as beyond the standard range
4、Non-road vehicles CE certification introduced
According to the announcement issued in July 2006 by European Commission, recently the non-road vehicles are administered by the three instructions of machinery safety instruction (98/37/EC)， electromagnetic compatibility instruction (2004/108/EC )and consumer product safetygeneral instruction （2002/24/EC）; While making it clear that this vehicle is not apply to whole vehicle instruction (2002/24/EC) as it’s not drive on the road, and not apply to toys instruction as it’s designed for children over the age of 14. Therefore all the non-road vehicles which export to EU have to accord with the above three instructions as requested, proving the way that the products accord with requirements is getting the “CE” certificate.
As instruction belongs to the technical regulationof EU, covering a wide range so the prescribed content tent to be principled, and there are some harmonized standards (voluntary standards) to support, the product only to be proved accord with the applicable harmonized standards of instruction, it can be regarded as meet the instruction. Such as “mini-motorcycle” relevant standards have: ENISO12100-1、ENISO12100-2、EN55012、EN61000,etc.
Recently china exports the non-road vehicles to Europe: ATV, GK, UTV, two wheeled off-road vehicle, golf cart, touristcoach and etc. all need apply. July 2006 England had some mini-motorcycle accident, so the EU issued an emergency notice to define this recreational vehicle as non-road vehicle and required all the EEA products had to gain CE certification and apply for EMC, MD instructions. EU require the members to add up all products which not obtained certification and not safe before December 2006 to submit the report to Economic Commission for Europe(DG Enterprise and Industry).
There are several enterprises get fined and required to recall all products as this kind of product put on the blacklist in the seventh week of 2007. At the same time European customs, relevant regulatory administrations and certification authorities have paid more attention to it. And it has an enormous effect on the Chinese export. Our company has researched the relevant technical regulations and helps the domestic manufacturers to improve technology so as to insure the products can meet the European safety requirements.
According to relevant regulations, at present most of chines products have some hidden dangers as follows:
（1）The protection of gear and chain is not sufficient;
（2）The design of tank vent is in front of operator, oil volatilization may be harmful to operators and have the danger of fire;
（3） Unsafe layout of tank, fuel pipe material, easy to cause dangerous.
（4）The stop switch of engine is without reset function;
（5）The roofs handgrip, brake controller have not been spherized, it’s easy to get hurt in accident;
（6） Direction handle centering is not precise;
（7） Brake performance is bad
（8） Warning signs are not complete;
（9） Specification information is not sufficient;
（10） high temperature protectionof exhaust pipe is not sufficient;
（11） The vibration of the vehicle body is severe, the noise is excessive.
