CE, REACH & WEEE compliance — what's needed to sell in the EU.
No foreign brand can sell a consumer B2B product in the European Union without meeting a minimum regulatory baseline. These obligations are not paperwork: they condition market access and engage the distributor's legal responsibility. Here's what NELEA verifies before signing, and how we support compliance onboarding.
CE marking, EU declaration, REACH, WEEE.
CE marking
Declares the product complies with applicable European directives (low voltage, EMC, RoHS, radio). Mandatory, physically affixed to product or packaging. No CE, no market placement.
EU Declaration of Conformity
Signed document by manufacturer or importer listing directives and standards complied with. NELEA requires this document before the first container and keeps it for ten years.
REACH
European regulation on chemical substances. Any substance above 0.1% in a product must be declared if SVHC-listed. NELEA conducts initial REACH audit.
WEEE
Electrical and electronic equipment waste treatment scheme. Mandatory contribution to an approved eco-organization. NELEA is a member and integrates partner products in its annual declaration.
Five directives NELEA audits systematically.
LVD — Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)
Applies to any equipment operating between 50 V and 1000 V AC, or 75 V to 1500 V DC. Covers most chargers, adapters and power supplies.
EMC — Electromagnetic Compatibility (2014/30/EU)
Concerns electronic equipment emitting or receiving waves. Accredited laboratory test mandatory for certification.
RED — Radio Equipment Directive (2014/53/EU)
Applies to any product using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G, 5G, NFC, RFID, radio waves. More complex certification, mandatory tests in accredited European laboratory.
RoHS — Hazardous Substance Restrictions (2011/65/EU)
Limits use of ten hazardous substances (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium VI, PBB, PBDE, DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP) in electronic equipment.
Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC)
Applies to products with dangerous moving parts. For consumer B2B, mainly concerns equipment with motorization.
When the product isn't yet CE, here's the route.
An American or Asian brand typically arrives with FCC (US) or CCC (China) certification. These are worthless in EU. The product must undergo European testing to obtain compliance. NELEA can carry this process.
Typical total duration: 10 to 14 weeks, cost between €3,000 and €15,000 depending on category and radio complexity. NELEA negotiates lab pricing for partners and can advance costs, amortizing them on first orders.
Read our Maclocks case study.
Theory of compliance is one thing. Concrete application on a real product with real numbers is another. The next page documents our Maclocks partnership since 2014 — what worked, what got stuck, and takeaways for a new brand entering.