The purpose of the CE Mark is to facilitate free trade and ensure the safety of certain products, European countries have developed a series of standards, or directives as they are called. Compliance is mandatory. It is a legal obligation on the part of the manufacturer or his agent. Penalties for failing to get CE-marking for a product can be severe.
If you wish to sell your products within the European Union member states and the European Economic Area, the product in question must comply with the directive(s). This also applies if you are a manufacturer who wants to export products into the European member countries.
The directives replace individual country standards as they relate principally to the safety of these products.