A navigator's guide to EMC

Surveys show that, although there is generally high awareness of the legal requirement to conform with the EMC Directive, confusion and uncertainty remain with regard to both the legal and technical issues. The EMC Directive will be fully implemented in all member states of the EU from 1 January 1996. It is imperative to recognise that after this date it will be a criminal offence to market electrical/electronic products that do not conform with its protection requirements. The precise details of how enforcement will be carried out in each member state are unclear. The guidance given to the; enforcement bodies from the DTI is to help companies to conform rather than to prosecute. The overriding issue is that, whatever the level of enforcement, manufacturers have a duty in law to demonstrate conformance for their products. The process of demonstrating conformance also requires clarification. It is how to demonstrate that products conform that is the stumbling block for many companies. The author discusses the routes to compliance and planning for it. Case studies are briefly outlined and the growth areas in EMC compliance are discussed. A sample showing suggested contents for a technical construction file is also given