What It Is

CE marking (Conformité Européenne) is the EU's certification framework indicating manufacturer declaration of product conformity to harmonised legislation. It covers health, safety, and environmental protection for specific product categories like electrical equipment and machinery. Primary scope: products under New Legislative Framework (NLF) directives/regulations. Key approach: risk-based via essential requirements and voluntary harmonised standards.

Key Components

• Essential requirements and conformity assessment modules (A-H)
• Technical documentation, EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
• Harmonised standards published in OJEU
• Notified body involvement for high-risk products
• Post-market surveillance under Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 Compliance model: self-declaration or third-party verification.

Why Organizations Use It

Mandated for EEA market access, it ensures legal compliance, avoids fines/recalls, and enables free circulation. Benefits: risk mitigation, supply chain trust, competitive edge in tenders. Builds stakeholder confidence via proven safety.

Implementation Overview

Map legislation, conduct risk assessment, compile technical file, issue DoC, affix mark. Applies to manufacturers/importers in EU/EEA; varies by product risk. Self-assessment for low-risk; audits for certified paths. Typical: 6-12 months for low-risk products.

What It Is

The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) is Australia's federal privacy regulation establishing economy-wide standards for personal information handling by government agencies and eligible private organizations. It uses a principles-based approach regulating the full data lifecycle, balancing privacy protection with information flows.

Key Components

• **13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)Cover transparency (APP 1), collection (APP 3), use/disclosure (APP 6-8), security (APP 11), and rights (APP 12-13).
• **Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) schemeMandates notifications for serious-harm breaches.
• **OAIC enforcementGuidance, audits, penalties up to AUD 50M or 30% turnover. No certification; compliance via governance and controls.

Why Organizations Use It

• Legal mandate for entities over $3M turnover, health providers, etc.
• Mitigates risks from breaches, penalties, reputation loss.
• Builds stakeholder trust, enables cross-border data flows.
• Integrates with cyber risk management for resilience.

Implementation Overview

Phased: discovery/gap analysis, policy design, controls (security, training), NDB readiness, audits. Targets medium-large orgs, some small businesses; Australian link for extraterritoriality. OAIC assessments verify compliance.