The "CE" mark on a product signifies that it conforms to European Union standards and can be freely sold, imported, and exported within EU countries. This abbreviation stands for "Conformité Européenne," a French term meaning "European Conformity." Since 1985, certain products (23 product groups) have been required to meet CE standards in order to be sold in the EU market.
Essentially, the CE mark indicates that the product has passed relevant safety, health, and environmental standards. It serves as the product's "passport" within the EU. Manufacturers can label their products with the CE mark to show that the product does not harm the environment, does not pose a danger to humans or animals, and complies with applicable regulations.
However, if it is discovered later that the product does not comply with the required standards or the CE mark is misleading, the manufacturer can be taken to court in the European Court of Justice. In such cases, a compensation lawsuit can be filed, and in the worst case, the sale of the product may be banned in the EU market.
Even products from less developed countries (often referred to as Third World countries) must comply with EU standards in order to be sold in the EU market. Additionally, the responsibility lies with the importing country to check whether the product meets these standards.
In some cases, companies falsely apply the CE mark to products without meeting the necessary standards. For example, when China started exporting products to the EU with a CE label, there were complaints because these products did not meet the required standards and were considered illegal. Chinese manufacturers tried to justify this by claiming that "CE" stood for "China Export" instead of "Conformité Européenne."