Guidelines of CE Marking on Laser Machines
Objectives of the guide
Machinery and equipment which are bound by specific European Directives cannot be placed on the single market unless they bear, among other things, the CE marking. CE marking affixed on a product indicates that the product complies with all relevant essential requirements (e.g. health and safety requirements) of the applicable Directive(s).
However, market surveillance in the EU often fails to prevent the entry of non-compliant imported machinery into the internal market and/or the circulation of non-compliant European machinery in Europe. Machines which do not meet essential health and safety regulations threaten health and safety in the workplace and put workers’ lives in danger.
Moreover, manufacturers and suppliers who do not comply with European regulations benefit from reduced production costs and gain an unfair comparative advantage in the market. This distorts competition and undermines the competitiveness of European manufacturers who invest a significant amount of their resources in the development of products with high safety standards meeting European regulations.
Cases of non-compliance may occur due to a lack of knowledge and/or misinformation among machinery producers who fail to meet the relevant essential requirements or due to deliberate infringements by machinery producers who want to unfairly cut their development and production costs.
In this regard, CECIMO believes that effective market surveillance requires better cooperation and communication among economic operators, customs authorities and market surveillance bodies on the relevant EU regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures required.
In line with this view, the present document aims to contribute to the ongoing work led by the European Commission to enhance market surveillance in the internal market, under the New Legislative Framework.
This guide provides a valuable source of information for manufacturers, sellers, and users of laser machines as well as for customs authorities to detect non-compliant laser machines in the internal market, since a better functioning market surveillance is vital to create a more secure working environment for workers and a more competitive European industry.