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European Union

CE Marking Requirements, by Product Group

CE marking isn't one rule — it's a family of EU product-safety instruments. RumzerCE covers conformity for the five groups below: gas appliances, low voltage equipment, recreational craft, construction products and toys.

Last reviewed 2026-09-27

Each of the five RumzerCE product groups is governed by its own EU instrument, with its own scope, obligated parties and technical-file requirements.

Two of the five are mid-transition to a newer instrument as of this writing: the Construction Products Regulation and Toy Safety.

Who must comply

  • Across all five groups, manufacturers (and, depending on the group, importers and distributors) must run a conformity assessment, compile technical documentation, issue an EU declaration of conformity — a Declaration of Performance under 305/2011, or a Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC) under 2024/3110, for construction products — and affix the CE mark before placing a product on the EU market.
  • Technical documentation generally must be retained for 10 years after placing the product on the market, under the EU’s general product-documentation rule.

The five product groups

Gas Appliances Regulation (GAR)

Regulation (EU) 2016/426

GAR covers appliances burning gaseous fuels — for cooking, heating, hot water, refrigeration, lighting and washing — plus their fittings. It always requires third-party (notified body) involvement: a notified body must conduct production-phase surveillance before an appliance or fitting type is placed on the market. The manufacturer then issues an EU declaration of conformity, affixes the CE mark to the appliance or its data plate, and retains technical documentation for 10 years, under the EU’s general product-documentation rule.

European Commission — Gas Appliances Regulation ↗

Low Voltage Directive (LVD)

Directive 2014/35/EU

LVD covers electrical equipment rated between 50–1,000 V AC and 75–1,500 V DC. Manufacturers must design and manufacture equipment to meet the Directive’s safety objectives, conduct a conformity assessment, draw up technical documentation, issue and sign an EU declaration of conformity, and affix CE marking before placing the equipment on the market. Technical documentation must be kept for 10 years, under the EU’s general product-documentation rule.

EUR-Lex — Directive 2014/35/EU summary ↗

Recreational Craft Directive (RCD)

Directive 2013/53/EU

RCD covers boats of any type intended for sports and leisure with a hull length from 2.5m to 24m, plus personal watercraft, designated components and propulsion engines. Manufacturers, importers and distributors must ensure craft meet essential health, safety, environmental and consumer-protection requirements and undergo a conformity assessment appropriate to the craft’s characteristics. The CE mark is affixed to the builder’s plate (separate from the hull ID number) or directly to the propulsion engine.

EUR-Lex — Directive 2013/53/EU ↗

Construction Products Regulation (CPR)

Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, being replaced by (EU) 2024/3110

CPR establishes uniform rules for construction products such as doors, windows, gates, thermal insulation, structural products and flooring. A new Construction Products Regulation, (EU) 2024/3110, was signed 27 November 2024 and published in the Official Journal 18 December 2024, and will replace 305/2011.

European Parliament Legislative Observatory — procedure 2022/0094(COD) ↗

Toy Safety

Directive 2009/48/EC, being replaced by Regulation (EU) 2025/2509

The current Toy Safety Directive, 2009/48/EC, covers toys for children under 14, with obligations for manufacturers, importers and distributors. A new Toy Safety Regulation, (EU) 2025/2509, was signed 26 November 2025 and published in the Official Journal 12 December 2025, per the European Parliament’s own legislative record. A European Parliament press release announcing the vote confirms a 4½-year transition period for member states and industry to implement it, and that the new rules ban intentional use of PFAS and the most dangerous bisphenols, extend CMR-type restrictions to endocrine disruptors, and require toys to carry a digital product passport.

European Parliament Legislative Observatory — procedure 2023/0290(COD) ↗

Deadlines

How Rumzer helps

  • RumzerCE covers CE conformity assessments for all five product groups above, organizing technical documentation on the cloud so a global compliance team can track progress on each group's requirements from one platform. Explore RumzerCE
  • RumzerCE folds in MatCheck, so teams manage CE technical documentation alongside REACH, RoHS and other product material compliance from the same suite. Explore RumzerCE

Sources

  1. European Commission — Gas Appliances Regulation — fetched 2026-09-27
  2. European Commission — Low Voltage Directive (LVD) — fetched 2026-09-27
  3. European Commission — Recreational craft — fetched 2026-09-27
  4. European Commission — Construction sector — fetched 2026-09-27
  5. European Commission — Toys sector — fetched 2026-09-27
  6. European Parliament Legislative Observatory — procedure 2022/0094(COD) (CPR) — fetched 2026-09-27
  7. European Parliament Legislative Observatory — procedure 2023/0290(COD) (Toy Safety) — fetched 2026-09-27
  8. European Parliament press release — Toy Safety Regulation adopted — fetched 2026-09-27
  9. Your Europe (European Commission) — Preparing technical documentation — fetched 2026-09-27

Questions about CE marking

What is CE marking required for?

CE marking is required for product categories covered by an EU harmonisation instrument — including, among many others, the five groups RumzerCE supports: gas appliances, low-voltage electrical equipment, recreational craft, construction products and toys.

What voltage range does the Low Voltage Directive cover?

Electrical equipment rated between 50–1,000 V AC and 75–1,500 V DC.

Does the Recreational Craft Directive apply to personal watercraft?

Yes — the RCD explicitly covers personal watercraft, boats with a hull length from 2.5m to 24m, designated components, and propulsion engines.

What changed under the new Construction Products Regulation, (EU) 2024/3110?

It replaces Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. Its final act was signed 27 November 2024 and published in the Official Journal 18 December 2024.

When does the new EU Toy Safety Regulation, (EU) 2025/2509, take effect?

It was signed 26 November 2025 and published in the Official Journal 12 December 2025. The European Parliament confirms a 4½-year transition period for industry to comply.

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