I (unfortunately) had to dig into this because those stupid Brexiters chose to leave the entire CE system and install their UKCA quality mark in place.
Manufacturers complain that while UKCA and CE requirements are currently identical, this means that entire product categories must be retested and approved by approved inspection companies. And for some products there is very little or no testing capacity here in the UK. It is a particular problem for building materials, a very strict category.
Well, M. Of course, it is the manufacturer itself that applies the CE marking. In fact, it is necessary for the manufacturer to do this and no one else. An importer or retailer may not do this. This is why the quality mark must also be closely connected (eg perforated), and later placement of a label or label is not allowed. There’s a very simple reason for this, the manufacturer can’t claim they didn’t have the CE marking themselves (“Oh, that CE marking? I’ve never seen that before, that label must have been the importer”).
After all, it’s all about a chain of responsibility. This is why the box of your CE marked router also has an insert that contains the name, address and signature of the responsible person at the manufacturer. You must be able to request construction drawings (and possibly test reports and inspection results) from this person for up to ten years after the EOL of the product, and you can take that person to court.
To prevent the procedure from getting into trouble, they will ensure that the importer has CE management in order. This will again ensure the importer (or the same procedure if they buy directly from the manufacturer) that the manufacturer has CE issues in order. Only in this way can they transfer legal responsibility.
In short, the probability that you will take something on the shelf in the Netherlands that does not have a CE mark (or has a mark but has been tampered with) is very small because the risk of liability is very high. If you are going to import from outside the EU on your own (eg in consumer web stores in China), you are personally responsible. If you are the end user, this is manageable (except for potential fines if you disrupt the radio spectrum, for example). If you give your nephew a Sinterklaas gift she got from AliExpress and your nephew loses his finger or gets electrocuted, you have a very big problem. I have been the responsible importer.
[Reactie gewijzigd door Maurits van Baerle op 21 maart 2022 19:39]
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