October 14, 2014
Now that the European Union EMC Directive 2004/108/EC has been “recast”, it’s time for manufacturers, importers, and distributors to adapt their CE Marking conformity assessments processes to the new EMC Directive 2014/30/EU. After April 2016, the new directive will be required for all EMC compliance files, and declarations referencing 2004/108/EC will no longer be valid.
For the most part, compliance with the new directive 2014/30/EC will not significantly impact conformity assessment. The essential requirements listed in Annex I of the directive remain the same as before and continue to be stated in very general terms. The requirements limit electromagnetic emissions to a level that will not affect telecommunications or other equipment and require products to have immunity to electromagnetic disturbances. For permanently fixed installations, Annex I still specifies applying good engineering practices to assess compliance.
The essential requirements become more clearly defined by way of specific technical details in harmonized EN standards. Just as before, these standards when applied in full provide the “presumption of conformity” with the directive and represent the primary form of due diligence for access to European markets.
The EN harmonized standards in the Official Journal don’t change as a result of the recast directive, so the technical requirements used previously will remain the same going forward. However, all harmonized standards are regularly updated as they evolve to adapt to new technology. It’s the manufacturer’s obligation to review the Official Journal on a regular basis and ensure their products remain compliant with the most current revision of the harmonized standards.
Some of the more significant changes in the recast 2014/30/EU relate to the operations of Notified Bodies and other practices that may not immediately impact manufacturers. However, we recommend a careful read of the new directive to understand how the changes may impact individual operators and unique cases. Annex VII in the new Directive provides a helpful correlation table that relates requirements in 2004/108/EC to 2014/30/EC.
At a minimum, Elite recommends the following steps to ensure continuing compliance with European EMC requirements:
- Check revision dates of the harmonized standards listed on technical reports.
- Review Annex IV and update the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) accordingly
- Update the EMC Directive reference to 2014/30/EC
- List all current revisions of the harmonized standards applied.
- Clearly identify the apparatus in the DoC to allow traceability.
- For self-declared products, update technical documentation as specified in Annex II (3).
- Review the CE label and confirm it’s correctly applied
- Confirm the operator’s information and technical instructions comply with Article 18.
There are other EU directives that have also been recast, including the Low Voltage Directive (LVD). Next month, we will cover the significant changes for the LVD and other related compliance requirements.
For questions concerning the new EMC Directive 2014/30/EU, the conformity assessment process, or testing services contact the Elite sales team. We can review your current technical documentation and consult on the status of your European Union compliance.
Link to the Europa site for more information and a copy of the 2014/30/EC: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical/emc_en
