New EMC Official Journal published 4th November 2008

This, the latest Official Journal, is available from the Europa website on this link: EMC OJ

August 2008 - BERR publish guide on EMC regulations

BERR (formerly the DTi) have published their guide to the UKs EMC regulations, SI 2006 No. 3418. BERR stated "We have published some interim guidance on specific issues of interpretation in the EMC Regulations 2006 to assist manufacturers and suppliers of electronic and electrical equipment to understand the effect of the Regulations."

BERR Guide to the EMC Regulations

The long awaited new Low Voltage Directive Official Journal has been published

This, the latest Official Journal, is available from the Europa website on this link: LVD OJ

Additions include the latest Ammendment 2 to EN 60335-1:2002 and gives a DOCOPOCOSS* of July 2009. Therefore products which conform only to the previous version of the standard (EN 60335:2002 +A1 +A11 +A12) should not be placed on the EU market after this date.

*Date Of Cessation Of Presumption Of Conformity Of the Superseded Standard

Two new CE marking Directives

2007 not only welcomes two new member states to the EU, with Bulgaria and Romania joining on 1st January, but it also sees the implementation of two new CE marking directives for electrical and electronic equipment.

Manufacturers, importers and authorised representatives responsible for placing such equipment on the European market will need to be aware of the changes and apply them.

The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 73/23/EC was repealed on 16th January 2007 with the new regulations relating to Directive 2006/95/EC being applied from this date.

Likewise, the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive 89/336/EC was repealed on 20th July 2007 with the new regulations relating to Directive 2004/108/EC being applied from this date.

There is very little that is new about the new LVD as it is a consolidation of the previous Directive and its amendments, explains John Davies, Managing Director of Blackwood Compliance Laboratories.

However, the new EMC Directive sees several distinct changes with the disappearance of TCFs and Competent Bodies, the introduction of Notified Bodies, and a wholly different compliance approach for installations.

The scope and essential requirements of these two new Directives have not changed and therefore there is no immediate change to product testing requirements. However John Davies warns that without being aware of the changes manufacturers may fall foul of the regulations.

It is vitally important that manufacturers realise that when a Directive is repealed it can no longer be used to declare compliance. Therefore all new equipment placed on the EU market must be declared compliant to the latest Directive. There will be a changeover transition period for products that are already on the market to aid with the phasing out of production and the selling of stocks of apparatus.