Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
In addition to safety, reliability and serviceability, electrical appliances must meet the further requirement of compatibility with other equipment in the intended operating environments. The electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of appliances intended for use in the same operating environment guarantees uninterrupted operation. Electrical appliances shall not emit unreasonable interference into their environment while they shall tolerate a reasonable amount of interference from other sources.
In order to enable different kinds of devices to function together normally, separate interference levels have been defined for residential environments and for industrial premises. Compatibility of all appliances used in an operating environment can be reached if the following two requirements are met:
• None of the appliances causes interference beyond the agreed level
• All devices shall tolerate interference up to the agreed level.
All electromagnetic phenomena created by an appliance but not intended for its practical use are considered interference. Interference spreads from one appliance to another via cables or as radiation. Stripes on a television screen, the crackling of a radio or the malfunctioning of a computer are often manifestations of interference caused by other electronic appliances.
The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA) and Tukes are the organisations primarily responsible for providing advice, prevention and impartial problem-solving in matters of radio interference. FICORA supervises the conformity of radio and telecommunication equipment, whereas other kinds of electrical appliances come within the scope of Tukes supervision.
New EMC Directive 2004/108/EY
The new EMC Directive 2004/108/EY will be adopted as of 20 July 2007. The transition period whereafter no equipment in accordance with the old Directive 89/336/EEC shall be brought into the market, ends on 20 July 2009.
The new EMC Directive aims at clarifying the scope and improving the definitions. The scope now covers equipment with both apparatus and fixed installations. However, fixed installations and apparatus are subject to different requirements. For instance, fixed installations need no CE marking or the EC Declaration of Conformity but they must be in accordance with sound technical practice written down in the technical documentation.
The new Directive simplifies the procedure for the assessment of conformity, providing that the manufacturer always draws up technical documentation on the EMC protection carried out. On the other hand, the assessment by the third party is no longer mandatory, even if harmonised standards have not been applied in whole. The use of the Competent Bodies of the old Directive will be replaced by a system with Notified Bodies in accordance with the New Approach. Along with the change, the Technical Construction File to Article 10.2 of the old EMC Directive cannot be applied after 20 July 2007 to the presentation of the conformity of such new apparatus to which the manufacturer has not applied the harmonised standards or has applied them only in part.
The new EMC Directive also clarifies the position of the harmonised standards and the information requirements, by means of which the market surveillance can be intensified. According to the Directive, each apparatus shall be followed by the name and address of the manufacturer. In cases where the manufacturer is not within the EEA area, the name and address of the responsible importer are also required. One of the new provisions in the Directive is the nomination of the responsible person for fixed installations.
The Commission has published a new Guide for the EMC Directive, available at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/electr_equipment/emc/guides/emc_guide_2007.pdf.