CE mark stands for the product applicable to European Standards or Differences. It can be Self-declaration by manufacturer according to European Standard. Today, it is the mandatory mark for entering the European Market (including EU, Norway, Island and Liechtenstein).
Directives
Directives are the legal requirements for certain categories of products, including the basic healthy and safety requirement. Before posting the CE mark, all the directives should be met. The manufacturer could choose the evaluation method by self. At present, the EU has issued more than 20 CE directives. Products should post the CE mark and provide the relative technical document before going into its market.
Harmonized Standards
The easiest way to meet the directives is by European Harmonized Standards. If a particular product complies with the Harmonized Standards, it means that it also complies with the relative directives.
Declaring conformity:
Many directives can be self-declared by manufacturer. However, some directives require manufacturer to test and certify the product in a Notified body, or to inspect its quality system by Notified body.