Recently, the European Commission updated some of the guidance regarding the EMC, ATEX, and Low Voltage Directives (and others) to include a warning about unregulated certificates.
The warning explains that voluntary certificates issued by certification bodies not designated as notified bodies under EU law are misleadingly presented for products subject to EU harmonization legislation. A notified body is an organization designated with special credentials by one or more countries in the EU to assess the conformity of products before they are placed on the market. In most cases (almost all) you do not need a Notified Body.
These certificates are not recognized as proof of compliance. Only notified bodies can issue EU type-examination certificates for products and only for product types for which they are listed under NANDO (New Approach Notified and Designated Organizations). Harmonized standards demonstrate that products, services, or processes comply with EU legislation.
Some third-party certifications are misleadingly labeled with terms like “certification” or “certificate,” like the certificate example included below. They are labeled with a CE marking but in this context the CE marking is meaningless.
A device cannot carry a CE marking if it does not meet the requirements of the RoHS directive. RoHS is one of the legal directives a product must conform to bear the CE marking.
The guidance on the referenced European Commission sites indicates that the EU is cracking down on these. The certificate below holds no legal weight, every CE marking Directive requires, with no exceptions, an EU declaration of conformity to be available with the product if the product warrants a CE marking. No EU declaration of conformity, no CE marking. There is no half-measure.
Certificates like these can be deceptive. They look legitimate but are invalid as pertains any claim of CE marking compliance and could potentially stop your product in customs or by market surveillance authorities. The European Commission is clear about these documents; these “certificates” are not recognized as proof of compliance.
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