# What Is a Notified Body — and Do You Actually Need One?

A Notified Body is an independent third-party organisation designated by an EU member state to assess whether certain products meet regulatory requirements before they can carry the CE mark. Most consumer electronics and low-risk products never need one. This short explains exactly when you do and when self-certification is the faster, cheaper route.


## Transcript

### The common misconception

Building a product for the EU market? Someone may have told you that you need a Notified Body. Here's the thing — most products don't. Knowing when one's actually required can save you tens of thousands of euros and months of delay.

### What a Notified Body is and when they're required

A Notified Body is an independent organisation designated by an EU member state, listed in the European Commission's NANDO database. Under Module A, you self-certify — no Notified Body needed. The Low Voltage Directive and Radio Equipment Directive both allow this for most products. Notified Bodies become mandatory for Machinery Category III and Medical Device Regulation Class IIa and above. Check your directive's conformity annexes.

### How to check your requirement

It's simple: pull up your directive, find the conformity assessment annexes, and check whether Module A is listed. If it is, self-certify. If it isn't, you'll need a Notified Body from the NANDO database — but that's the exception, not the rule.

Tags: CE marking, notified body, EU compliance, self-certification, NANDO