The Ahmedabad-based Cip Machineries has become the first Indian pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer in the country to receive the CE mark, the European Standard certification for its machineries. The CE mark is one of the most difficult product standard certifications required to be obtained by Indian companies for exporting pharmaceutical machineries to Europe.

The CE mark indicated that the manufacturer of the product believes that it complies with all the European legislation that is relevant to that product. When a CE marked machine is dispatched to its European customer, it must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity. The Manufacturers must state in the declaration that the equipment complies with the relevant directives applicable in the EU.

Cip has been an as ISO 9002 certified company and one of the leading manufacturer and exporter of pharmaceutical machineries. The machines manufactured by the company currently cater not only to pharmaceutical sector but to chemical, ceramic, confectionery, fertilizer industries as well. Besides, the company provides technical support by identifying the basic need of the industry. At present, Cip is one of the leading exporters of pharma machineries in India.

As the CE mark plays a very significant role in the machinery exports to the European countries, it is an important aspiration of the machinery sector in India to obtain the same to boost their overseas business. The CE mark in the EU, which was evolved over the centuries as each country in Europe evolved its own laws to prevent its citizens from being unnecessarily injured, defrauded or poisoned. But of course all this laws were different, reflecting each country''''s distinction history and cultural attitude to consumer protection and safety.

The origin of CE mark is such that since each European country had different requirements, it was necessary for machine manufacturers to make different versions of the same machine to suit each country, which was of course expensive. However, the principle of the European single market is that if every country in Europe has the same law of machinery safety, it is possible for a manufacturer to read the law in his own language, build the machine accordingly knowing that the machine will be acceptable in every country of Europe.

When every country in Europe has the same law on a particular subject, it does not matter that the countries have different languages and different methods of enfacing those laws.

Currently, there is no obligation under any European Directives to be registered for ISO 9000, EN 9000, its European equivalent, or any other quality assurance system. However, once a company is registered, it does allow it to self certify equipment under some of these Directives, which otherwise would have to be approved by a third party.