What is CE?

The CE (Conformitè Europèenne) mark is a European Union approval indicating that a product complies with a European Directive. A European Directive is a standard that relates to health, safety and consumer protection similar to UL or the NEC in the United States. The CE mark therefore indicates that the product is acceptable for safe use within the community. U.S. manufacturers require CE marked products and components when their end use product is going to be shipped and used in Europe.

The directive that applies to Alpha Wire products is the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 73/23/EEC, plus amendment 93/68/EEC. The LVD and amendment are issued by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). It basically says that all electronic products that have a voltage between 50 and 1000 volts must be safe when used properly in foreseeable conditions.

CE is self-certifying which means that if the compliant product does not meet a specific European product standard the importer must prove why the product is safe. In this case, reference can be made to another national body such as UL or NEC. If this is not possible, the manufacturer can state that the product fulfills the safety requirement on its own. All of Alpha’s products meet UL standards and those standards are the proof that we refer to, should we be challenged about the safety of our products.

The CE Mark is not required to be printed on the cable jacket but only on the packaging. This is the procedure Alpha will use when marking our products. In addition, a Declaration of Conformity (DOC) is made available by request to customers requiring documentation of Alpha’s compliance with CE. The DOC must originate from a union member country. Alpha will distribute the DOC from its facility in the United Kingdom.