You are buying an aerial work platform from China for the EU market. The supplier sends a document and says, “It has CE, so it can be exported to Europe.”
Do not begin with the stamp, the institution's name or the document title. The procurement question is: can the manufacturer, model and scope stated in the documents be matched to the equipment that will be supplied?
Put the order specification, proposed machine information and existing documents side by side. Before production, review the proposed configuration. After completion, match them to the actual data plate, configuration and formal accompanying documents.
This article concerns purchasing-document checks for complete aerial work platforms. It does not replace a conformity assessment of the specific machine.
1. Match the documents to the machine before asking what is missing
Start with relationships, not the number of certificates.
Order–data plate–declaration and supporting documents cross-check
| Check | Compare | Who should explain a difference, and what? |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible parties | Contract seller, data-plate manufacturer and party responsible for the declaration of conformity | Ask the seller and manufacturer to explain their roles; different names do not automatically invalidate a document |
| Model and version | Final order, specification, declaration, and models covered by reports or certificates | Ask technical or compliance staff whether suffixes, versions or configuration differences affect coverage |
| Actual machine identification | Data plate, serial number and supply records for this unit | Ask the manufacturer how the delivered machine is linked to the applicable documents |
| Basis and document status | Legislation, assessment procedure, complete annexes, signatures and current versions | Ask the responsible issuer to explain missing, superseded or outdated information |
A declaration of conformity identifies the product, responsible party, applicable basis and signatory. It is a document through which the manufacturer assumes relevant compliance responsibility, not a marketing attachment. EU guidance on declarations
Do not mechanically demand this order's serial number on every report. For model- or type-level records, ask the manufacturer to establish why the supplied configuration is covered. Final accompanying documents must identify the actual equipment as applicable requirements demand.
If the actual manufacturer is unclear, first clarify the parties using the Chinese equipment supplier verification guide, then continue the document review.
2. Understand each document's role
A declaration of conformity states who declares the identified product to meet applicable requirements. It should reflect conformity work that has actually been completed.
A test report records results for a defined test object, scope and conditions. Check its configuration, tests and conclusions; one report does not establish that every requirement has been covered.
A third-party certificate must be read in the context of its procedure, the body's role and the scope covered. A voluntary certificate does not replace the statutory conformity work required for the equipment. The European Commission distinguishes such documents from assessments performed by notified bodies within their authorised scope. European Commission machinery guidance
There is no central EU authority issuing a universal “CE permission certificate” for all products. Whether a notified body must participate depends on the product and the applicable assessment procedure. The equipment name alone cannot establish that a particular certificate is always mandatory—or that a manufacturer's declaration alone is sufficient. EU CE-marking guidance
The buyer's next step is not to select the procedure independently. It is to ask the manufacturer which procedure applies to this model and what each existing document contributes to it.
3. Communication tip: ask for an explanation, not an edited PDF
Suppose, hypothetically, that the order specifies M12-E but the supplied document lists only M12.
Ask:
Please have the person responsible for this model's technical or compliance documentation explain whether M12-E is covered. What differs from M12, and what supports the claimed coverage? If the existing document does not apply, please identify the additional work and who is responsible.
Do not simply say, “Please change the model on the certificate to M12-E.”
Changing text cannot supply assessment evidence that does not exist. A genuine documentation error must also be corrected by the appropriate responsible party on a factual basis.
Request the complete document and relevant annexes, not just a screenshot of its cover. Sales can coordinate, but someone able to explain the evidence should address coverage.
For confidential material, agree on relevant extracts, controlled access or review by an appropriate person. The objective is to resolve a defined discrepancy, not collect every factory design file.
4. Two necessary checks: the body and the applicable date
The body. Where the statutory procedure requires a notified body, use the EU's NANDO system to check its identity and authorised scope, then verify the particular document through an independent official channel. Finding the body does not authenticate the document; authenticity does not establish coverage of this order. Distinguish ordinary test reports from statutory assessment by a notified body. EU CE-marking guidance
The date. According to EU information checked on 25 October 2026, Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC remains the current framework, and Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 generally applies from 20 January 2027. For orders crossing that date, the manufacturer and EU importer should establish the applicable requirements using relevant legal milestones such as first placing on the market—not simply the order date or year of manufacture. European Commission machinery legislation
Use these checks to identify questions needing resolution, not to turn the purchase discussion into a collection of institution names and regulation numbers.
5. Turn the review into a discrepancy list
Retain the version and basis for information that matches. For missing annexes, model explanations or signatures, name the person who must supply them. Where the proposed machine is not covered, resolve applicability rather than collecting unrelated certificates.
A useful response might read:
The manufacturer name has been checked. The basis for covering the model suffix is still missing, and the effect of the configuration change on the existing documents has not been explained. Please have the manufacturer's technical lead address both points and confirm when the information can be supplied.
This is more likely to produce a checkable answer than “prove that CE is valid.”
The delivered machine must still match the approved configuration. Use the agreed pre-shipment inspection to check the physical equipment. Document review and machine inspection complement each other; neither replaces the other.
Have CE documents but cannot see how they relate to your order?
Start with one document you have received, the proposed model and the destination market. Levantis can help organise discrepancies between the documents and the order and coordinate explanations from the Chinese supplier. Any need for further specialist review can then be defined. This assistance is not certification approval or an import permit.