CE approval

[Scott]

>The point that seems to have been misses is getting CE approval. If the >equipment has a mains supply then th whole device needs to be submitted, >otherwise it's only the pwer unit. In addition different power units can be >suppled for different countries without changing the whole device.

I am still having problems with LED spotlights. These are MR16 12 Volt units. They carry the CE marking but the supplier says they are not EMC compliant. I have been told various different things:

1. The supplier says that the bulbs do not require to be EMC compliant, only power unit (as you seem to be saying).
2. Consumer helpline say that only 'low voltage' equipment needs to be EMC compliant but they do not know what 'low voltage' means.
3. The EMC Directive suggests all 'apparatus' is covered.
4. The Telegraph suggests that EMC compliance is voluntary:
5. My understanding is that the CE marking denotes compliance with EMC. Arey they allowed to mark non EMC compliant bulbs as CE?

Scott

[Peter Parry]

CE simply stands for "Chinese Export" . Like most Eurobabble rules it is ignored by many.

[Andy Wade]

CE Marking is not approval. It's a self-declaration by a manufacturer or importer of compliance with all relevant EU directives, established by testing to harmonised standards, or otherwise. In practice the cynical view that CE stands for caveat emptor has more than a grain of truth...

If true, that would mean their sale or use in any member state is unlawful. In the UK the enforcement body is trading standards.

I doubt that's true if the lamps contain any switch-mode electronics and are sold separately.

That's muddling EMC and the low-voltage directive (LVD). EMC applies regardless of supply voltage. The LVD is concerned with eletrical safety of mains voltage equipment. Low voltage is 50 - 1000 V AC (75 -

1500 V DC). Lower voltages are deemed ELV.

Yes, with some exemptions.

Piffle.

Was that meant to be a link to the the Telegraph?

Yes, and the LVD if relevant. The manufacturer/inporter should have a declaration of conformity showing what standards or other means they've used to show conformance.

Arey they allowed to mark non EMC compliant bulbs as CE?

No, but 'electromagnetically benign apparatus' - such as a simple filament lamp, perhaps - is exempt, so cannot be non-compliant.

[Scott]

Cynicism always valid but on this occasion does not assist in advancing an argument to take matters forward.

[Scott]

Yes, Apologies for lack of proof-reading.

[Fredxxx]

I've read the article and I believe the Telegraph article is utterly wrong.

CE marking in itself implies the device conforms to all relevant rules including EMC compliance.

An importer is treated as a manufacturer, where the importer should have a technical file for the product and is responsible for ensuring CE compliance.

[Scott]

Thanks. I have asked them of the Declaration of Conformity so I await the reply with interest.

[tabbypurr]

myth

And followed by many too.

NT

[dennis]

If it says CE and is in the correct font and spacing its the EUs conformity mark.

If its CE and wrong font its what many Chinese companies put on and may as well mean Chinese export because it doesn't mean anything else.

Its all academic now as according to many posters on this group we are opting out of the EU regulations.

[charles]

but, we haven't yet and it is lilely to be at least 2 years before we do.

[Scott]

And half the people want to remain in the single market. And the government says all EU laws will be retained at the start subject to modification later.

[Tim Streater]

That would be the most sensible approach.

[The Natural Philosopher]

well that's only sensible.

No point in throwing babies out with bathwater.

As it becomes obvious that a given regulation has no real use and is only designed to make you buy Bosh, chuck it out and buy a Henry instead.

[dennis]

That's a poor choice as henry vacs complied with the regs before they were made and some Bosh ones didn't. So the regs were to make you but henry and not bosch assuming there was a conspiracy at all.

[Scott]

Que?

[dennis]

Spiel chocker.. buy henry.

[alan_m]

There is nothing to stop the chinese using the same font/spacing.

Which will make absolutely no difference. If the UK has its own conformity mark and a far east manufacturer wishes to ignore testing there is nothing to stop them just printing the conformity mark on their equipment.

The reason that so many suspect products have a CE mark is that the chances of being caught are minimal and it doesn't matter to the original far eastern manufacturer because they cannot be prosecuted.

[dennis]

Its not the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure conformance, its the importer that has that responsibility. The importer is the one that will be prosecuted.

[Scott]

'Will' is turning out to be a considerable exaggeration in the situation I am involved in. I have not as yet succeeded in getting anyone to accept my complaint.

[dennis]

Trading standards if its a shop/uk business. Amazon/ebay if its from there. If you imported it personally from a chinese site then best of luck.

I recently complained when an ebayer sent me one of those horrible un-fused mains leads and they refunded my order within a day.