Frequently asked questions about European EMC Directive

Summary form only given as follows. The EMC Directive 89/336/EEC of 3rd May, 1989 was adapted by the European Council with the purpose of harmonizing the laws of Member States. In 1992, the EMC Directive was amended by Directive 92/31/EEC to include the procedures for conformity assessment and CE Marking of products. CE has come to symbolize many aspects of compliance. Manufacturers may see CE as the Mark of a private Club, short for Club Europe, or worse Closed Europe. Some who have been trying to understand how to interpret and apply the new European regulations may think of CE as confusion in Europe. When it comes to EMC this might then be enhanced to Even More Confused! Though some manufacturers may think of CE marking as a regulatory burden, the fact is that the purpose of CE Marking is to eliminate trade barriers. CE Marking actually makes it easier to comply with product requirements in Europe, since it in principle implies harmonized requirements in any Member State of the European Economic Area (EEA), which comprises 15 EU Member States. Many publications and manuals outline the EMC Directive in detail. The focus of this paper however, is to outline many of the practical questions manufacturers ask regarding the EMC Directive.