European CE Marking for Medical Devices

What is the CE Mark and what does it mean?

What is the CE Marking process for medical devices?

Who is responsible for maintaining regulatory compliance?

To sell medical devices in the European Union (EU), you must obtain or apply CE Marking for your product. CE Marking indicates a product’s compliance with the applicable EU regulations and enables the commercialization of your products in 32 European countries. As a legal medical device manufacturer, you are responsible for maintaining regulatory compliance and securing CE marking for your product, regardless of whether you outsource any or all components of your manufacturing operation. IVD? See this page.

How to obtain CE marking for your medical device

CE is not a quality mark, but compliance with EU Directives requires you to meet specific standards of performance, quality, safety, and efficacy for your product type. We have a detailed chart explaining the European CE process here. However, the basic process follows these steps:

  • Determine which EU Directive applies to your device: Medical Devices Directive (93/42/EEC), In Vitro Diagnostic Devices Directive (98/79/EC) or Active Implantable Medical Devices Directive (90/385/EEC)
  • Determine the classification of your device.
  • Implement a Quality Management System, if applicable to your device. Most companies use ISO 13485 to meet the requirements.
  • Prepare a CE Marking Technical File or a Design Dossier
  • Select and appoint a European Authorized Representative to act on your behalf within the EU if you have no physical location in Europe.
  • Have your QMS and Technical File/Design Dossier audited by a Notified Body, unless your device is Class I, is not sterile and has no measuring function.
  • Obtain CE Marking and ISO 13485 certificates from your Notified Body.
  • Prepare a Declaration of Conformity (DoC), which states that your device complies with the appropriate Directive.
  • NOTE: The CE Marking process will change as Europe’s new Medical Device Regulation (MDR) comes into force in late 2019 or early 2020.

Let Medapproval assist you with CE compliance

We have assisted medical device manufacturers with CE compliance for Europe. Our services include:

  • Assistance with product classification
  • Verify applicable standards and testing requirements
  • Technical File or Design Dossier compilation, or review of your files
  • Review existing marketing materials, labeling, and user manual information to ensure compliance and consistency
  • Verification of compliance with Essential Requirements
  • Preparation of Clinical Evaluation Report based on provided clinical data
  • Implementation, modification, and maintenance of a quality system (usually ISO 13485) that will meet European and other international requirements
  • Authorized Representative services in Europe
  • Risk assessment and management (ISO 14971)
  • Development of vigilance and post-market surveillance procedures
  • Contact us to learn how we can help you obtain CE marking for your medical device in Europe.

ISO 13485 Consulting and Implementation for Medical Device Manufacturers

ISO 13485:2003 is a quality system standard designed specifically for medical device companies. It is the most commonly chosen path for companies to meet the Quality Management System (QMS) medical device requirements in Europe, Canada, and Australia, and serves as the basis for QMS compliance in other countries such as Japan, Korea, and Brazil.

Advantages of ISO 13485 certification

If you manufacture or market any Class II or higher risk classification device, and you sell it outside the US, most likely you will need to be ISO 13485 certified. ISO certification offers many benefits for medical device companies:

  • It is the standard for global medical device QMS compliance for medical devices, and is a prerequisite for access to most major markets worldwide.
  • ISO 13485 certification requires effort to attain and maintain, so it gives you additional credibility and legitimacy with potential customers.
  • Increased efficiency, better product quality and improved customer service within your company.
  • Your commitment to quality will be evident to your consumers and partners
  • Let us help you implement ISO 13485 or upgrade from ISO 9001
  • Our team of experienced QA consultants has helped hundreds of medical device and IVD manufacturers achieve ISO 13485 certification. We focus solely on medical device and IVD companies so we understand the unique needs and manufacturing scenarios of the industry. Here’s how we can help: We will fully customize your ISO 13485 quality system to meet your specific needs, and make sure you are ready for a certification audit.
  • Our ISO 13485 consulting and project management teams will work closely with you to ensure that your QMS is implemented on time and on budget.
  • We can recommend a number of qualified third-party testing and certification firms that specialize in your category of devices.
  • Medapproval will perform on-site ISO 13485 training for your key employees as part of the implementation project.
  • Interested in upgrading to ISO 13485:2016? Let us help.

Please contact us for more information on our ISO 13485 consulting services.

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11555 Medlock Bridge Rd, Ste. 100
Johns Creek, Georgia 30097

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1 (864) 735-2466

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