The TÜV Rheinland GS Mark has its roots in the German equipment safety law. The literal translation of "GS" stands for "safety-tested" in German. Typically, the electrical safety aspects of a product are evaluated, tested and certified in conjunction with the issuance of this Mark. The TÜV Rheinland GS Mark is a voluntary test mark. It is attached to a product to indicate that a third party has tested the product for safety and that continuous production control is maintained. In the past decade, members of the European Union have become accustomed to seeing the mark on consumer products.

The TÜV Rheinland GS Mark demonstrates the following:
·	A representative sample of the product has been evaluated, tested an approved for safety.
·	The production line is inspected on an annual basis.
·	TÜV Rheinland GS Mark also provides a marketing advantage since it is a voluntary mark.

In contrast to the TÜV Rheinland GS Mark, CE Marking is the manufacturer's self-declaration and does not prove compliance to all applicable directives. For most products sold in the EU, the use of CE Marking and a Declaration of Conformity are mandatory.

With the exception of some high risk products, most products can be self-declared by the manufacturer to meet the Essential Requirements. While the CE Marking permits a product's access to the EU, it is not an approval, certification or quality mark; nor is a marketing tool. CE Marking is a "mark' that is only a declaration of the supplier's own responsibility. While enabling products to be placed on the European market, it allows for the free movement of goods and permits the withdrawal of nonconforming products.

TUV Rheinland GS Mark vs. CE Marking

TUV Rheinland GS Mark		CE Marking
Voluntary		Required
Only appears on approved products		Appears on all products
Proof of testing and certification through an independent third party test laboratory		Testing is assumed but not proven
Continuous product and production surveillance by independent third party for the life of the certification		No market advantage; simply a manufacturer's self declaration of conformity
TUV Rheinland GS Mark: A symbol for safety and compliance of products		CE Marking: A symbol for trade with the assumption of conformity