CE certification applies only to the basic safety requirements ensuring that products do not jeopardize the safety of humans, animals, or goods, rather than general quality requirements. Harmonized directives only stipulate primary requirements, while general directives delegate tasks to standards. Therefore, the accurate meaning is that the CE mark is a safety conformity mark, not a quality conformity mark. It constitutes the "essential requirements" at the core of European directives. The "CE" mark is a safety certification mark regarded as a passport for manufacturers to access the European market.

CE stands for "CONFORMITE EUROPEENNE." In the EU market, the "CE" mark is a mandatory certification mark. Both products manufactured within the EU and those produced in other countries must be affixed with the "CE" mark to circulate freely on the EU market, demonstrating compliance with the basic requirements of the EU's New Approach to Technical Harmonization and Standardization directives. This is a mandatory requirement of EU law for products.

The RoHS Directive originated from Directive 2002/95/EC passed by the European Parliament and the Council on January 27, 2003, known as the "Restriction of Hazardous Substances" in electrical and electronic equipment. It is one of the EU's environmental protection standards aiming to limit the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment to reduce their impact on the environment and human health. Initially, six hazardous substances—lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers—were banned from use in electronic products.

RoHS 2.0 subsequently added four phthalates: di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), expanding the controlled hazardous substances to ten. Relationships between RoHS and REACH & WEEE Certifications:
1. Relationship with REACH Certification: REACH certification focuses on the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals, covering a broader scope encompassing almost all chemicals and their products.
2. Relationship with WEEE Certification: WEEE certification is a directive on the waste management of electrical and electronic equipment, primarily regulating the recovery, disposal, and reuse of waste electrical and electronic products.

Announced by the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) on August 20, 2008, the new certification system KC (Korea Certification) will be implemented from January 1, 2009, under the Korean Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act. It is a mandatory certification system to prevent hazards and obstacles caused by electrical appliances, such as fires and electric shocks. Electrical appliances subject to safety certification must obtain certification before manufacturing and sales.

Therefore, the effectiveness of the electrical appliance safety management system is ensured to protect the lives and property of Korean consumers. Before entering the Korean market, enterprises should comply with relevant laws and regulations of Korea's current Product Safety Basic Act, Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act, and Special Act on Child Product Safety. For some products requiring prior safety management, they must pass the KC certification before being sold. For certified products and other unpre-controlled products, according to the Product Safety Basic Act, the Korean Consumer Protection Board will conduct routine inspections annually. Products posing a threat to consumer safety will be subject to recall and control measures.

PSE certification is a mandatory safety certification in Japan, indicating that electrical and electronic products have passed the safety standards tests stipulated by Japan's Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law (DENAN Law) or international IEC standards. According to Japan's Denan Law, 457 types of products must obtain safety certification to enter the Japanese market. Among them, 116 Category A products should obtain the diamond-shaped PSE mark, while 341 Category B products should obtain the circular PSE mark.

The certification process includes application preparation, testing and evaluation, factory audits, and compliance maintenance. By obtaining PSE certification, manufacturers can ensure their products comply with Japanese safety regulations and legally enter the Japanese market. Manufacturers should choose qualified testing institutions for testing and maintain good compliance records to meet market supervision and inspections.