A year to clear stocks as Europe introduces CE marked steel

CE marking for structural steel sections is introduced across Europe from 1 September. In a year’s time it will become compulsory in many European markets, making it illegal to sell a wide range of steel sections without a CE mark.

The new regulations apply to flat and long products of hot rolled structural steels – including universal beams and columns – but not structural hollow sections and tubes.

CE marking is a declaration by the manufacturer that a product meets all appropriate provisions of relevant European directives, in this case the Construction Products Directive. The CE mark gives companies easier access to sell their products in the European market without adaptation or rechecking. In many European countries, but not the UK, CE marking is mandatory.

Corus intends to mark all its steel sections that fall within the scope of the European harmonised standard that implements CE marking, EN 10025-1.

For non-marked sections there will be a 12-month period of grace when steel specified to the old  and new standards can both be sold. From 1 September next year, in countries where CE marking is mandatory it will be illegal to sell sections to the old standards, so stockholders have a year to sell existing stocks.

The CE mark may appear on the product, the packaging, in manuals or other supporting documents. For Corus steel it will appear on the test certificate, which will be supplied free with steel bought directly from Corus Construction & Industrial but for which a charge will be made in the case of steel bought from Corus distribution.