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EMC Directive

Electrical devices and installations can influence each other when being used in close proximity. Interference can often be noticed between TV set, your GSM handset, your radio and nearby washing machine or electrical power lines.

The purpose of the EMC Directive is to control the interference between devices. It first limits electromagnetic emissions of equipment in order to ensure that, when used as intended, such equipment does not disturb radio and telecommunication as well as other equipment. The Directive also governs the immunity of such equipment to interference and seeks to ensure that this equipment is not disturbed by radio emissions when used as intended.

Definitions

The EMC Directive has the following definitions:

‘equipment’ means any apparatus or fixed installation;
‘apparatus’ means any finished appliance or combination thereof made commercially available as a single functional unit, intended for the end user and liable to generate electromagnetic disturbance, or the performance of which is liable to be affected by such disturbance;
‘fixed installation’ means a particular combination of several types of apparatus and, where applicable, other devices, which are assembled, installed and intended to be used permanently at a predefined location;
‘manufacturer’ shall mean any natural or legal person who manufactures a product or has a product designed or manufactured, and markets that product under his name or trademark;
‘placing on the market’ shall mean the first making available of a product on the Community market;
‘making available on the market’ shall mean any supply of a product for distribution, consumption or use on the Community market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge.