Frequently asked questions
Short, sourced answers on CE marking for recreational craft, conformity assessment, components, post-construction assessment and our services. Each answer links to the service it relates to.
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General
Is there such a thing as a “CE certificate”?
Not as a single document. The CE marking is affixed by the manufacturer, who also draws up the EU declaration of conformity (Directive Art. 15; Regulation 765/2008 Art. 30).
Depending on the module, a notified body issues its own certificate: for example an EU-type examination certificate (Module B), a certificate of conformity after unit verification (Module G), or a PCA certificate and report of conformity after a post-construction assessment (Annex V).
What does a design category mean?
It describes the wind and sea conditions a craft is designed for (Annex I, Part A, 1):
A: wind force above 8 (Beaufort) and significant wave height above 4 m, excluding abnormal conditions such as storms.
B: wind force up to 8 and significant wave height up to 4 m.
C: wind force up to 6 and significant wave height up to 2 m.
D: wind force up to 4 and significant wave height up to 0.3 m, with occasional waves of 0.5 m at most.
The category on the builder’s plate must be supported by stability, buoyancy and the other essential requirements, and it influences which conformity assessment module applies.
What is a conformity assessment module?
A standard procedure from Decision 768/2008/EC that the directive assigns by product type, design category and hull length (Art. 20): A (internal production control), A1 (plus supervised product testing), B (EU-type examination) with C, D, E or F, G (unit verification) and H (full quality assurance), plus PCA for post-construction assessment (Annex V).
For recreational craft from 12 m hull length in categories A, B and C, only B (with C, D, E or F), G and H are available. Below 12 m, categories A and B can also use A1, and category C can use A1 and, when the harmonised standards for stability and buoyancy are applied, A. In category D, A, A1, B, G and H are all available up to 24 m.
These are the modules for design and construction. Exhaust emissions are assessed by the engine manufacturer (Art. 21). For noise, craft with inboard or stern drive engines without integral exhaust use A1, G or H, or Module A where the Froude number and power/displacement method applies (Art. 22).
Why does my boat or personal watercraft need CE marking?
Products within the directive may only be made available or put into service if they meet the applicable essential requirements (Art. 4). Watercraft, components and propulsion engines are subject to CE marking when made available or put into service (Art. 17), and the marking is affixed before that happens (Art. 18).
In Türkiye the same rules apply through the Recreational Craft and Personal Watercraft Regulation (Official Gazette No. 30057).
How do I start the CE process for a boat or a component?
First establish what the product is (recreational craft, personal watercraft, component or engine), its design category and hull length: these decide the available modules. Then prepare the technical documentation (Art. 25, Annex IX).
Where the chosen module involves a notified body, the manufacturer applies to a body notified for that module (listed in NANDO). We help you choose the route, prepare the file and coordinate the steps; describe your project in the request form to begin.
When does a notified body’s certificate need updating?
An EU-type examination certificate reflects the type and the state of the art when it was issued. The notified body keeps itself informed of changes, for example revised harmonised standards, and decides whether the approved type needs further investigation; if so it informs the manufacturer (Decision 768/2008/EC, Annex II, Module B).
The harmonised standards for recreational craft are listed in Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1954, last amended on 12 March 2026. Ask your notified body how it reviews its certificates.
What happens if I change a design that already has an EU-type examination certificate?
The manufacturer informs the notified body that holds the technical documentation of every modification that may affect conformity. Such modifications need additional approval, issued as an addition to the original certificate (Decision 768/2008/EC, Annex II, Module B).
We can help you document the change and the evidence the notified body is likely to ask for.
What is a certificate of conformity?
A notified body’s certificate for an individual product. Under Module G (unit verification) the body issues a certificate of conformity for the examinations and tests it carried out; after a post-construction assessment it issues a PCA certificate and report of conformity (Annex V).
It is not the EU declaration of conformity, which the manufacturer or its authorised representative draws up (after a PCA, the person who places the craft on the market or puts it into service).
What is the model year?
One of the five elements of the watercraft identification number (WIN), next to the manufacturer’s country code and unique code, the serial number and the month and year of production (Annex I, Part A, 2.1).
How the CIN, including the model year, is composed is set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1 and the harmonised standard EN ISO 10087:2022.
How long does a model year run?
The model year is the year in which the craft is intended to be placed on the market (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1, Art. 3). The Commission’s guide describes it as a twelve-month period that can span two calendar years, chosen by the manufacturer. The coding follows EN ISO 10087:2022 (Amendment 1 of 2026 is not yet in the harmonised list).
We check the model year coding against the edition that applies to your craft.
What does “RCD” stand for?
Recreational Craft Directive: Directive 2013/53/EU on recreational craft and personal watercraft, which repealed Directive 94/25/EC. Member States apply it from 18 January 2016; no amendment has been adopted since, only corrections, while a Commission proposal of 2025 is still in procedure.
In Türkiye it is applied through the Recreational Craft and Personal Watercraft Regulation (Official Gazette No. 30057, amended by No. 30656).
What is a personal watercraft (PWC)?
A watercraft for sports and leisure of less than 4 m hull length, propelled mainly by an engine-driven water jet pump, and designed to be ridden by people sitting, standing or kneeling on it rather than inside a hull (Art. 3(3)). Jet skis are the familiar example.
What is an evaluation report?
In an EU-type examination, the notified body records what it examined and the results in an evaluation report. The body releases its content, in full or in part, only with the manufacturer’s agreement (Decision 768/2008/EC, Annex II, Module B).
What is an EU-type examination certificate?
The certificate a notified body issues under Module B when a representative type meets the applicable requirements. Production then follows one of Modules C, D, E or F (Art. 20). Under the former Directive 94/25/EC it was called an EC type-examination certificate.
What is the difference between the declaration of conformity and a certificate?
The EU declaration of conformity is the manufacturer’s own statement, on its sole responsibility, that the product meets the directive (Art. 15, Annex IV). A certificate is issued by a notified body for the part of the assessment it carried out.
Every CE-marked product needs a declaration; a certificate exists only where the module involves a notified body.
Where do I get the EU declaration of conformity?
No third party issues it: the manufacturer or its authorised representative draws it up (or, in the cases of Article 19(2)–(4), the private importer or the person who places the craft on the market or puts it into service after a PCA). It follows the model in Annex IV, is kept up to date and is translated into the language required by the Member State concerned (Art. 15).
For a used craft, ask the seller for the original declaration; it should accompany the craft together with the owner’s manual.
What is a partly completed boat?
A craft that its manufacturer or importer makes available to be finished by someone else, for example a hull and deck sold to a fitting-out yard. It does not carry the CE marking at that stage; instead it comes with a declaration under Annex III that names the parties, describes the craft, lists the essential requirements met at that stage and states that it is to be completed by others (Art. 6(2)).
Whoever completes the craft then carries out the conformity assessment for the finished craft.
What is a notified body’s identification number and where does it appear?
Each notified body has a four-digit number assigned by the European Commission and listed in NANDO. Where the body is involved in the production control phase or in a post-construction assessment, its number follows the CE marking; it is affixed by the body itself or under its instructions (Art. 18(3)).
Our Builder’s Plate Generator reserves a place for it and prints only the number you enter; it never assigns or suggests one.
What does the CE marking on a product mean?
By affixing it, the manufacturer indicates that it takes responsibility for the product’s conformity with all applicable EU requirements that provide for the marking. It is the only marking that attests that conformity (Regulation 765/2008, Art. 30(3)–(4)).
Is a CE-marked product always made in the EU?
No. The CE marking says nothing about where a product was made; it concerns conformity with EU requirements. Boats built anywhere can carry it once the applicable procedure has been completed.
Can I, as the manufacturer, affix the CE marking myself?
Yes, and only the manufacturer or its authorised representative may do so (Regulation 765/2008, Art. 30(1)). You affix it after completing the applicable conformity assessment procedure and drawing up the EU declaration of conformity, followed by the notified body’s number where that body was involved in production control (Art. 18). Under the directive, a private importer, or the person who places a craft on the market or puts it into service after a PCA, also affixes it (Art. 12; Annex V, 4.1).
Where is the CE marking affixed?
Visibly, legibly and indelibly. On a watercraft it goes on the builder’s plate, mounted separately from the watercraft identification number; on a propulsion engine, on the engine; on a component, on the component or, where that is not possible, on the packaging and accompanying documents (Art. 18(1)).
What is the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity?
The document in which the manufacturer states that the product meets the essential requirements. Following the model in Annex IV, it identifies the product for traceability, the manufacturer or the person responsible, the legislation and harmonised standards applied and, where relevant, the notified body and its certificate (Art. 15).
Is CE marking mandatory, and for which products?
Yes, when they are made available or put into service: recreational craft of 2.5 m to 24 m hull length (measured in accordance with the harmonised standard EN ISO 8666), personal watercraft, the components listed in Annex II when placed on the market separately, and propulsion engines (Art. 2(1), 3(2), 17). A partly completed craft does not carry it; it comes with a declaration under Annex III.
From the design and construction requirements the directive excludes, among others, craft intended solely for racing and labelled as such, canoes and kayaks designed to be propelled solely by human power, original historical craft designed before 1950 and individual replicas labelled as such, experimental craft not placed on the market, and craft built for own use unless placed on the market within five years of being put into service (Art. 2(2)(a)). Separate lists apply to exhaust and noise. Our CE Preliminary Check walks through these conditions.
How does the CE marking differ from other markings, and may other markings appear next to it?
The CE marking is the only marking that attests conformity with the EU requirements that provide for it. Other markings may be affixed as long as they do not impair its visibility, legibility or meaning; markings likely to mislead about its meaning or form are prohibited (Regulation 765/2008, Art. 30(4)–(5)).
Who checks that the CE marking is used correctly?
National market surveillance authorities: each Member State ensures the correct use of the marking and acts against improper use (Regulation 765/2008, Art. 30(6)).
In Türkiye the authority for recreational craft is the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (General Directorate of Shipyards and Coastal Structures), as listed on the Ministry of Trade’s product rules page.
What are the penalties for misusing or counterfeiting the CE marking?
They are set nationally. Member States must lay down effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, which may include criminal sanctions for serious infringements (Directive Art. 53; Regulation 765/2008, Art. 30(6)). Authorities can also restrict or withdraw non-compliant products from the market.
In Türkiye, Article 48 of the regulation refers sanctions to the product safety law, now Law No. 7223 on Product Safety and Technical Regulations; ask us if you need the current provisions for a specific case.
What does affixing the CE marking mean for the manufacturer, importer and distributor?
The manufacturer takes responsibility for conformity (Regulation 765/2008, Art. 30(3)) and keeps the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity available to the authorities for 10 years after placing on the market (Directive Art. 7(3)). The importer checks before placing the product on the market that the procedure was carried out, the documents exist and the CE marking is present, and adds its own name and contact address (Art. 9). The distributor acts with due care and verifies the marking and documents before selling (Art. 10).
An importer or distributor who places a product on the market under its own name, or modifies it in a way that may affect conformity, takes on the manufacturer’s obligations (Art. 11).
Where can I find more information?
The official sources are the directive on EUR-Lex, the European Commission’s recreational craft pages with the RCD Application Guide (3rd edition, March 2026) and the list of harmonised standards, the NANDO register of notified bodies, and for Türkiye the regulation in the Official Gazette and the Ministry of Trade’s product rules page. The links are listed below.
For a question about your own craft, our technical consultancy gives a written, referenced answer.
About TEKNECE
Who is TEKNECE?
A technical team of naval architects and marine engineers in Tuzla, Istanbul. We support builders, importers and owners of recreational craft with CE process support, post-construction assessment files, marine survey and technical consultancy. Where the directive requires a notified body, that body carries out the assessment; our role is preparation and coordination.
How can I reach your team?
By phone on +90 216 493 40 75, on mobile on +90 533 201 11 33, on WhatsApp on +90 533 201 11 33, or by e-mail at info@teknece.com. The request form gives you a reference number and a written reply.
How do I send a request?
Use the request form at the end of the home page: choose the service, describe the craft and what you need. You receive a reference straight away, and a member of our team reads the request and replies with the likely route and the documents involved.
Where do I send drawings and documents?
Start with the request form; our reply says which documents help and how to send them, usually by e-mail to info@teknece.com. Please send copies, not originals.
Components
Why do some components need their own CE marking?
Components listed in Annex II that are placed on the market separately are products under the directive in their own right (Art. 2(1)(c)) and are subject to CE marking (Art. 17). Their design and construction are assessed with Module B plus C, D, E or F, with Module G or with Module H, so a notified body is always involved (Art. 20(3)).
Do all boat components need CE marking under the directive?
No, only the five groups in Annex II: ignition-protected equipment for inboard and stern drive petrol engines and petrol tank spaces; start-in-gear protection devices for outboard engines; steering wheels, steering mechanisms and cable assemblies; fuel tanks for fixed installation and fuel hoses; and prefabricated hatches and portlights.
What about components not listed in Annex II?
They are not CE-marked separately under this directive. They are assessed as part of the craft, whose manufacturer shows that the finished craft meets the essential requirements. Other EU legislation may still apply to some equipment in its own right, depending on the product.
Which requirements apply to components?
The essential requirements of Annex I that concern the component’s function, for example fuel system, steering or watertightness of openings. Harmonised standards cited in Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1954, as amended, give a presumption of conformity for the requirements they cover; the edition cited in the list is the one that counts.
What applies when a craft or component is changed later?
For a certified type, the manufacturer reports modifications that may affect conformity to the notified body, which decides on an addition to the certificate (Module B). For a craft already in service, a major craft conversion, such as a change of propulsion, a major engine modification or changes that may affect the essential requirements, leads to a post-construction assessment when the craft is placed on the market or put into service again (Art. 3, 19(3)).
Post-construction assessment (PCA)
What is a post-construction assessment (PCA)?
A procedure to assess the equivalent conformity of a product whose manufacturer has not taken responsibility for its conformity (Art. 23, Annex V). The person placing it on the market or putting it into service applies to a notified body with the documents available; the body examines the craft and carries out the calculations, tests and other assessments needed.
In the Turkish regulation it is called “üretim sonrası değerlendirme” (Art. 24, Annex 5).
What is the PCA certificate and report of conformity?
At the end of a post-construction assessment the notified body issues a PCA certificate and report of conformity, and keeps copies for ten years. It affixes its identification number next to the CE marking and, for a watercraft, has the craft identification number affixed under its responsibility (Annex V, point 3).
The person who places the craft on the market or puts it into service then affixes the CE marking and the builder’s plate bearing the words “post-construction assessment”, draws up the EU declaration of conformity and keeps it for ten years (Annex V, point 4).
My boat comes from the US and its petrol engine carries a 1-star “Low Emission” label. Can it go through a PCA?
Possibly, but the label does not decide it. Star labels belong to a Californian emission scheme, not to EU conformity. In a PCA the notified body assesses the craft against the relevant requirements, which for an installed petrol engine include the exhaust emission requirements of Annex I, Part B. The engine’s documentation and any existing test data help the body decide what further evidence is needed.
My US boat’s petrol engine carries a 2-star “Very Low Emission” label. Does that help with a PCA for Europe?
It tells you the engine was certified to a lower emission level under the Californian scheme, but it is not evidence of conformity with the EU exhaust emission requirements. The notified body assesses the engine within the PCA against Annex I, Part B; emission test reports from the engine manufacturer are the most useful evidence to collect.
My US boat’s petrol engine carries a 3-star “Ultra Low Emission” label. Can the boat be CE marked through a PCA?
The craft can go through a PCA whatever the label; whether it passes depends on the notified body’s assessment of the whole craft, including the engine’s exhaust emissions against Annex I, Part B. A lower-emission label is a good sign but not a substitute for the evidence the body asks for.
My US boat’s petrol engine carries a 4-star “Super Ultra Low Emission” label. Is a PCA for Europe possible?
Yes, a PCA is possible; four stars is the lowest-emission label of that Californian scheme. The EU requirements still apply as written: the notified body checks the exhaust emissions within the assessment (Annex I, Part B) and decides which documents or tests it needs. We help you gather the engine records before you apply.
When does a post-construction assessment apply?
In three cases (Art. 19(2)–(4)): a private importer puts into service a craft whose manufacturer has not carried out the conformity assessment; a craft or propulsion engine is placed on the market or put into service after a major conversion or major engine modification, or a craft after a change of intended purpose brings it within the directive; and a craft built for own use is placed on the market within five years of being put into service.
According to the Commission’s guide and RSG guidance, a change of the declared limits, such as the design category or the number of persons, also counts as a major conversion, while craft first placed on the market before 16 June 1998 are not brought back into scope by a conversion.
Fees
What does the CE process cost?
It depends on the craft, the module, how complete the documents are and which calculations and tests are still needed. Notified body fees are set and invoiced by the body itself. Our own work is quoted in a written plan after the first review.
How is a survey visit quoted?
Per project, once the purpose, the scope, the location of the craft and the report format are agreed in writing.
United Kingdom
Is the CE marking accepted in the United Kingdom?
In Great Britain, the government has extended recognition of the CE marking for recreational craft indefinitely; the UKCA marking is an alternative, and is required where a UK Approved Body carried out the assessment. Northern Ireland follows EU rules, so the CE marking remains mandatory there. Check the GOV.UK guidance (last updated 24 March 2025) before placing a craft on that market.
Our services in practice
Which documents are required?
The technical documentation shows how the craft meets the essential requirements. Annex IX sets out its content, including a general description, design and manufacturing drawings, the harmonised standards applied, results of calculations and examinations, and test reports or calculations, notably on stability and buoyancy. For engines, exhaust and noise emission data may be needed.
Alongside the file, the craft needs its owner’s manual, its builder’s plate and its watercraft identification number (WIN). The exact list depends on the craft and on the module.
What does the time an assessment takes depend on?
On the craft and the file: its type and size, the design category, the applicable module, how complete the existing documents are, which calculations and tests are still needed and, where one is involved, the notified body’s own planning. After the first review we set out which steps your project involves.
What is checked when a boat is imported?
First, whether the craft has been placed on the market before with CE marking, and what comes with it: the CE marking on the builder’s plate, the watercraft identification number, the EU declaration of conformity and the owner’s manual. An importer must make sure that the manufacturer has carried out the conformity assessment and drawn up the technical documentation, and must indicate its own name and contact address on the product (Art. 9).
Where those documents do not exist, the route depends on who imports the craft: a private importer may need a post-construction assessment, while an importer placing the craft on the market under its own name takes on the manufacturer’s obligations (Art. 11).
What is the watercraft identification number (WIN)?
The watercraft identification number (WIN), often called the craft identification number (CIN) after ISO 10087, is marked on every craft and identifies it (Annex I, Part A, 2.1). It includes the manufacturer’s country code, the manufacturer’s unique code assigned by the national authority, a unique serial number, the month and year of production and the model year; its composition follows Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1 and EN ISO 10087:2022.
The CE marking does not go next to it: it goes on the builder’s plate, mounted separately from the identification number.
What information does the builder’s plate carry?
At least: the manufacturer’s name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and contact address; the CE marking; the design category; the manufacturer’s maximum recommended load; and the number of persons recommended by the manufacturer for which the craft was designed (Annex I, Part A, 2.2). After a post-construction assessment, the plate also carries the words “post-construction assessment” and the contact details of the notified body that carried it out (Annex I, Part A, 2.2; Annex V, 4.3).
Our Builder’s Plate Generator prepares a draft layout of these fields for review.
What does a marine survey cover?
The scope follows the purpose of the survey and is agreed in writing before any inspection. It typically covers the accessible areas agreed, such as hull surfaces, deck fittings and visible structural details, using methods such as visual inspection, percussion sounding and moisture readings where the purpose calls for them.
The written report states what was inspected, what was found and which areas could not be inspected. A survey records condition; CE conformity follows the directive’s own procedures.
How does technical consultancy work?
You send your question or the document you are working on. We agree what will be reviewed, the deliverable and the timing, read the material against the applicable requirements and standards, and reply in writing with references and the points that remain open. A single question is fine.
Decisions stay with you as manufacturer and, where the directive requires one, with the notified body.
Can an online tool tell me whether my boat conforms?
Our CE Preliminary Check gives preliminary guidance: which route may apply and which information is likely to be needed. It is a starting point for the conversation; the assessment itself follows the procedures of the directive.
Answers follow Directive 2013/53/EU and the Turkish Recreational Craft and Personal Watercraft Regulation (Official Gazette No. 30057) as read on 29 October 2026. They are general information; your craft is assessed on its own documents.
A question about your own craft?
Send the craft details and your question. The first reply sets out the likely route and the documents involved.