Today on the International Trade Resources Podcast, our host Kim Kirkendall is with Alan Scott, CEO of Laicon Consulting Services. Alan works with many companies in North America, helping them manage their CE and UKCA certifications, training, documentation review, compliance safety assessments, and other components surrounding CE certifications. 

Our topic today is how companies outside of Europe who are selling into the EU / UK can ensure they are prepared to meet CE requirements. Alan dives in with the four basic steps that should be taken for CE compliance: determining the correct directives, preparing your technical file, applying the CE mark, and obtaining a Declaration of Conformity. Each of these steps can be quite technical, so it’s worth taking notes on what Alan outlines. This is an informative episode and Alan equips our listeners with what they need to know before shipping their products. You’ll be surprised at what Alan shares, including that following Brexit – the UK is phasing in UKCA regulations, not CE requirements.

One major theme in the discussion is that it’s important to be prepared BEFORE you start selling into Europe.  In this episode we get into a lot of the details that help companies be compliant. There are some key differences to understand between the EEA (European Economic Area) and the EU, and the important role a EUAR (European Authorized Representative) plays. This information will keep you protected ahead of any problems that may arise. 

Alan then goes on to explain crucial aspects of EN (European Norms), a set of guidelines for health and safety, as well as how to build a technical file for your product.

Finally, he shares his list of top mistakes companies make when going through a certification process. You won’t want to miss it, or you could risk being a victim to one of the pitfalls he describes!

Things you’ll learn 

• 4 Steps for CE Compliance 
• Changes happening in the UKCA and CE requirements
• Differences between EEA and EU
• The role of a EUAR (your representative in Europe - now required)
• Understanding EN, technical files for your product, and liability
• Major mistakes companies make throughout the process

Links

ECEuropa.eu - the European Commission's official website

Contact: alan.scott laicon.us

Episode Sponsors:  

Modifi

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Website: www.intltraderesources.com

Email: [email protected]

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