"New Approach" and CE marking of products
Technical standards: legal scope and product development

The opening up of the EU's internal borders to products, thus forming the single market, led in 1985 to the concept of the "new approach" (see Note). Its aim is to harmonize the technical rules governing the marketing of products. European regulations therefore set out "essential requirements" (ERs), in the form of objectives and results to be achieved in terms of safety, health and the environment.

Note :

Some thirty "new approach" directives (gradually being replaced by regulations) cover some thirty product families, including :

• simple pressure vessels...