About CE marking

What is CE marking?

From 16 June 1998, there has been a requirement that recreational boats must be CE marked. From 1 January 2006, engines were also required to be CE marked. The requirement applies throughout the EEA and shows that the product has been manufactured in accordance with EU regulations. It is the manufacturer's responsibility to CE mark the boat. When importing a used boat, the importer is responsible for ensuring that the boat is CE marked. The rules on CE marking can be found in the Recreational Craft Regulations. 

Which vessels must be CE marked?

Recreational boats with a hull length of between 2.5 and 24 metres must be CE marked before they can be put on the market or put into use for the first time in the EEA. Recreational craft imported from countries outside the EEA must therefore as a general rule be CE marked before they can be placed on the market or put into use in Norway.

CE marking of engines

As a general rule, only engines that are CE marked during production in accordance with one of the relevant modules that are allowed in Appendices 5 to 13 of the Regulations are accepted. This means that the manufacturer must be certified by an approved notified body at the time of production of the engine. Engines manufactured before this time are not considered to be correctly CE marked. Each engine must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity issued by the engine manufacturer and a certificate from a notified body. A declaration of conformity issued for engines manufactured before the manufacturer was certified is not valid.

Engines that are not correctly CE marked can be used in recreational craft that were put into service in the EEA area before 16 June 1998.

Which vessels are exempt from the requirement for CE marking?

• Recreational crafst placed on the market or put into service in the EEA before 16 June 1998
• Competition boats, marked as such by the manufacturer
• Historic boats, boats built before 1950 or faithful copies of such boats
• Self-built boats for own use, as long as the builder owns the boat for a period of 5 years from the time it is taken into use

An exhaustive list of vessels that are exempt from the requirement for CE marking can be found in section 2 of the Regulations.

Import of recreational crafts

Before recreational boats can be put on the market or put into use in the EEA for the first time, they must be CE marked. As a general rule, this applies whether the boat is manufactured in the EEA area, or imported from a country outside the EEA area (third country), whether the boat is new or used. If the boat is imported from a third country, the boat must be CE marked even if it is only for personal use and even if there are vessels of the same type or model on the EEA market. Recreational craft that are covered by the requirements for CE marking and that are imported
without CE mark, will be stopped at customs on 2. You then have the choice between CE marking the boat (carrying out a post-inspection), or sending it out of the EEA area.

Exemptions from the requirement for CE marking when importing:

• Recreational boats that have been demonstrably 3 on the market or put into service in the EEA area before 16 June 1998, regardless of where the boat was manufactured
• Recreational craft manufactured in the EEA before 16 June 1998, regardless of whether these were placed on the market or put into service in the EEA
• Historic vessels, marked as such
• Competition vessels, marked as such
• Duties and other costs associated with customs clearance of recreational craft can be found at the Directorate of Customs and Excise.

Post-inspection (PCA) of recreational craft without CE mark

From 1 January 2006, the importer must ensure that a notified body carries out a follow-up inspection in accordance with Section 7 (5) of the Recreational Craft Regulations. The notified body shall, among other things, prepare a report of conformity for the vessel.

Post-inspection is often an extensive and expensive process. Complete technical documentation shall be prepared and calculations shall be made showing that the vessel satisfies the requirements for CE marking. You must therefore expect that the vessel will have to undergo modifications if the requirements are not satisfied.
The importer must prepare a declaration of conformity and affix or arrange for the affixing of the CE marking. This means that the importer attests and is responsible for the vessel's compliance with the requirements for CE marking. The boat cannot be put on the market or put into use in the EEA area until it is CE marked.

For a period from 1 July to 31 December 2005, DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and IMCI (International Marine Certification Institute) were delegated the authority to verify the technical documentation. This may subsequently have an impact on boats that were imported during this period, and which have not yet been completed and CE marked.

Post-inspection of engines

Section 7 (5) of the Recreational Craft Regulations regulates post-inspection of products covered by the Regulations. This provision must be seen in conjunction with the other provisions of the Regulations. Annex 1 (B) and (C) of the Regulations contains requirements for exhaust emissions and noise. The assessments and approvals that were not carried out when the engine was manufactured must be carried out retrospectively. This means that notified bodies must carry out a conformity assessment in accordance with the relevant standards, and then prepare a report of conformity. On the basis of this report, the importer must prepare and sign a separate declaration of conformity for the engine.

Engines installed in recreational craft that have been cleared through customs to Norway before 1 January 2006 are exempt from CE marking.

Why is it important to check if the boat is CE marked?

It is forbidden to put on the market or use a recreational boat for the first time that is not
CE marked. This is because the consumer will run a safety risk, as no guarantee is given that the boat is designed and equipped according to norms developed at international and national level.

In addition to the fact that it is forbidden to sell such a leisure boat without a CE mark, the boat will be encumbered by a defect under the law of sale. This means that an unaware buyer will be able to raise objections against the seller who does not state that the boat is not CE marked. Such objections may include correction of defects, possible price reduction, compensation and cancellation. Furthermore, an insurance company will generally not enter into an agreement on non-life insurance if the boat is not
CE marked.

How do I find out if the boat is correctly CE marked?

It's important to look for the following:

• Does the boat have a manufacturer's license plate with a CE mark?
• Does the boat have an identification number (WIN code) on the hull?
• Does the boat have a user manual in Scandinavian language?
• Does the boat have a declaration of conformity?

Manufacturer's license plate 

Recreational boats must be marked with a manufacturer's plate. The sign must be placed in plain sight, and contain the following information:

• Name of the manufacturer
• Maximum load, including optional outboard (kg)
• Maximum number of people that can be on board
• Construction category A, B, C or D
• The symbol "CE"
• Possibly the number of the notified body, see below
• Optionally marked "follow-up", see below

Vessel identification number, WIN (formerly CIN and HIN)

Recreational boats that are CE marked must have an identification number called a WIN code. The WIN code shall be permanently embossed on the outside of the hull, on the starboard side of the transom. Signs may be used if they are attached in such a way that the sign cannot be removed without causing damage to the surrounding area of the hull.

The WIN code is a unique number given to each vessel placed on the EEA market. The code states, among other things, who manufactured the boat, when it was manufactured and what year model the boat is. The code is therefore not proof that the boat meets the safety requirements of the Recreational Boat Regulations.

For recreational craft built in Norway, the NMA assigns manufacturer identification on the basis of an application from the manufacturer. Private individuals who are going to CE mark their own building must also apply to be granted manufacturer identification.
 The WIN code consists of a total of 15 numbers, characters and letters.

WIN code for imported boats

For recreational boats that are not manufactured in Norway and that must be CE marked here, the following applies:
The notified body issues the WIN code. The code for the country of production will then be the code belonging to the home country of the notified body. The manufacturer's identification is replaced by the notified body's identification. For recreational craft cleared through customs before 1 November 2007, it is accepted upon application to the NMA that the manufacturer's identification is replaced with the letters "IMP", and three of the characters in the boat's unique serial number are replaced by the importer's identification code.

What information does the NMA need in order to be able to assign a WIN code (Former CIN and HIN code)?

Necessary information is the name of the company and contact person, possibly the name of a private individual, as well as the address and whether the vessel is imported from an area outside the EEA.
The desired letter code can be suggested, but the letters I, O, Q, Æ, Ø and Å are not used.

User manual

All recreational craft shall have a user manual in accordance with EN-ISO 10240. The manual should provide the information that the buyer needs to use this specific boat in a safe manner. The manual shall also state the boat's technical specifications, explain how the boat and its equipment are to be operated, including limitations and capacities (including maximum engine power (kW), as well as the risk of fire and water inflow. If the boat is put on the market in Norway, the manual must be in a Scandinavian language. The owner's manual must accompany the vessel when it is sold.

Declaration of Conformity

The Declaration of Conformity is an appendix to the user manual and is the manufacturer's certification that the vessel satisfies the rules of the Recreational Craft Regulations. This is an important document that must be well taken care of. The declaration of conformity shall contain the name and address of the manufacturer, a brief description of the vessel and a list of the standards/norms in accordance with which the vessel is manufactured. The list of production standards is important for you as a consumer if you discover a defect in the vessel and want to find out which technical requirements the manufacturer declares to meet.

Boat Construction Category

The boat must be designed and built to withstand wind speed and wave height as specified for its construction category. It is therefore important that you investigate whether the category is suitable for your use. The vessel's construction category and what this means must be clearly stated in the owner's manual.

Boat Construction Category

Notified Body (TKO)

TKO is an independent third party that assesses whether the product has been manufactured in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Recreational Craft Regulations (conformity assessment). If the TKO has been involved in the control phase of the actual production, the TKO's identification number must appear on the manufacturer's plate.

TKOs are designated by the authorities in each EEA state. In Norway, Det Norske Veritas is designated as a notified body. However, the manufacturer is free to choose another TKO, provided that it is designated by its home country. For a full list of designated TKOs see this website.

Relations with other EEA states

The requirements for CE marking apply throughout the EEA. For new member states, the rules apply from the time when the country became an EEA state. This means, for example, that boats that were in use in Poland before the country became an EU member on 1 May 2004, do not need to be CE marked.

Reference documents

 

Contact the Norwegian Maritime Authority

For further information about the regulations regarding CE marking and documentation of recreational craft, please contact the Norwegian Maritime Authority 

Footnotes

1. Regulations of 20 December 2004 no. 1820 on the production and sale of recreational craft, etc. became mandatory as of 1 January 2006. Until this date, the Regulations of 14.6.1996 no. 580 could be used as a basis.
2. See Act No. 13 of 12 April 2013 on the free exchange of goods in the EEA (EEA Goods Act)
3. Proof of import can be customs papers, ship deeds, insurance papers or similar.
4. Craft Identification Number – up to and including 1.1.2006, the ID number can be designated as a HIN code (Hull Identification Number)