Complete Comparison of EU CE Certification Directives: Which Directive Applies to Each of the 18 Product Categories

## First, a correction of a premise: CE has no "general certification." The legal meaning of the CE mark is "the manufacturer declares that the product complies with all applicable EU regulations." The actual action of so-called "doing CE" is: first determine which directives the product falls under, then complete the assessment one by one. Choosing the wrong directives means the entire technical file is built on a false premise. ## Product categories and directive cross-reference | Product category | Mandatory directives | Common additions | Is NB required | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Small appliances, kitchen appliances | LVD + EMC | RoHS, ErP, WEEE | Generally not required | | Power adapters, chargers | LVD + EMC | ErP, RoHS | Generally not required | | Bluetooth/WiFi/cellular devices | RED | RoHS, WEEE, Battery Regulation | Mostly required | | LED luminaires and light sources | LVD + EMC | ErP, RoHS | Generally not required | | Industrial machinery | MD | LVD, EMC | Required for Annex IV | | Pressure vessels, piping | PED | MD, ATEX | Required for Categories III/IV | | Equipment for explosive atmospheres | ATEX | MD, EMC | Required for Categories 1/2 | | Building materials, scaffolding, ductwork | CPR | REACH | Depends on AVCP system | | Toys | Toy Safety Directive + EN71 | REACH | Generally not required | | Personal protective equipment | PPE | REACH | Required for Categories II/III | | Food contact materials | No CE, governed by FCM framework regulation | LFGB, DGCCRF | Not required | | Cosmetics | No CE, governed by CPNP notification | REACH | Not required | | Textiles, bags and luggage | No CE | REACH, GPSR, RSL | Not required | ## Three places where misjudgment is most likely **First, wireless products do not need separate EMC.** Products with wireless transmission functions fall under RED, and the EMC requirements (EN 301 489 series) have been incorporated into RED. Doing both EMC and RED constitutes duplicate sample submission. **Second, textiles, furniture, and food contact materials are not within the scope of CE at all.** Many companies are misled by the phrase "to export to the EU you need CE," spend money obtaining a certification that does not legally exist, and instead miss the REACH, GPSR, and FCM that they actually should do. **Third, the judgment of whether NB is required for machinery and pressure equipment depends on structure, not on the category name.** For the same injection molding machine, models within the Annex IV list must undergo NB type examination, while those outside the list may be self-declared. ## Suggested order of judgment 1. First ask: Is the product electrical/electronic? If yes → LVD + EMC + RoHS + WEEE as the baseline. 2. Then ask: Does it contain wireless transmission? If yes → replace EMC with RED, and add RED's radio frequency and safety requirements. 3. Then ask: Does it involve mechanical movement, pressure bearing, explosion protection, construction use, children's use, or personal protection? Match each item to MD / PED / ATEX / CPR / Toys / PPE. 4. Finally, uniformly add horizontal regulations: REACH, ErP (energy-using products), PPWR (packaging), Battery Regulation. ## One-sentence conclusion The difficulty of CE has never been testing, but "which clauses apply to me." Get this judgment right, and testing and documentation become meaningful; get it wrong, and everything afterward is wasted effort. Shuwang Testing and Certification Platform's approach is to first issue an "Applicable Directive Determination Table," and only start testing after the client confirms it, avoiding spending budget on the wrong directives.