When browsing Chester’s journal tonight, I came across an entry where he harnessed the power of his community to figure out the meaning of red paper numbers on cars. Reading the post reminded me that I’ve been baffled for years by the meaning of the CE mark on the back of certain products. Because I’m in the States and everyone here navel-gazes, no one I have asked has known what it means, either. I finally looked it up.

The CE mark “certifies that a product has met EU health, safety, and environmental requirements, which ensure consumer and workplace safety.”

This page states:

The letters “CE” are the abbreviation of French phrase “”Conformité Européene” which literaturely means “European Conformity”. The term initially used was “EC Mark” and it was officially replaced by “CE Marking” in the Directive 93/68/EEC in 1993. “CE Marking” is now used in all EU official documents. “CE Mark” is also in use, but it is NOT the official term.

I also found a FAQ about how to reproduce the CE Mark.

And now, I can put the question to rest. :)