European Union´s EMC Directive-an overview of implementation problems during 1996

The paper outlines an equipment developer´s experience of the EMC Directive from its draft consultation stage, through to its publication in the official Journal, its transition period, and finally during its first year (1996) as a mandatory requirement. An outline is presented of the evolution of the approach to compliance and assessment of conformity. Some of the encountered difficulties are discussed and some solutions suggested. The paper concludes by looking to the immediate future and offering advice on how designers and equipment developers can become more proactive in their approach