Communaute Europeenne ('CE' or 'European Community') was introduced in 1995 and CE Marking was created to stimulate the free circulation of goods within the European Community by removing barriers created by differing standards in member states.
When applied to any product or equipment indicates that the manufacturer or its authorised EU representative has declared that the product of equipment compiles with all applicable European Directives.
Certification will become mandatory in the UK in July 2013, from which time it will become illegal to sell structural steelwork in the UK or the Republic of Ireland that does not carry the CE Mark.
CE Marking is not allowed unless the Factory Production Control (FPC) system under which they are produced has been assessed by a suitable certification body that has been approved to the European Commission.
Steelwork has bee4n divided into four categories for certification and a steelwork contractor may not produce steel in a higher category than it is certified. The categories are:
- Execution Class 1 – Farm Buildings
- Execution Class 2 – Buildings
- Execution Class 3 – Bridges
- Execution Class 4 – Special structures (e.g. Power Stations)
Billington Structures, which has been fabricating steel since 1947, demonstrated compliance with the new and more stringent European standards and was awarded the CE mark accreditation on 1st May 2011.