> " Ladies & Gentlemen, > I thought that you may be interested in the outcome of a meeting between a > well-known PC manufacturer and the European Commission, DGIII (Elena > Santiago) concerning the > legalities of System Integration > > 1. An integrator of a "Core PC" (motherboard, power supply, case & drives - 6.4.2 pare. 4 of > the EMC Directive Guidelines) need only follow the Conformity Assessment Guidelines (10.1 > or 10.2 of the Directive, 8.1 or 8.2 of the Guidelines). This entails using CE Marked > modules, following module instructions exactly, providing a Declaration of Conformity, > and providing a CE Marking on the product. If he/she does this, then the resultant product > NEED NOT BE TESTED. Further, if an enforcement organization later tests the product and it > fails the emissions limits, the System integrator will still be considered in compliance! > The enforcer is then supposed to turn his/her sights on the module suppliers for not > providing sufficient instructions, and leave the System Integrator alone. Accordingly, if > the System Integrators under prosecution in the UK followed the Guidelines but did not > test, they should not be prosecuted. > > 2. EMC auditing of production is not mandatory. Even though EN55022, in describing the 80/80 > rule, indicates that auditing is mandatory, the European Commission views this as not a > standards issue and beyond the scope of CENELEC to specify. They also consider this > requirement in conflict with their guidelines and are taking steps to have CENELEC remove > this wording from EN55022. > > 3. We also brought up an issue regarding the use of prototypes for evaluation and > demonstration, and of development units for customers to use to simultaneously prepare new > designs. Ms. Santiago agreed to bring the matter up with the horizontal National > Authorities. > > The above will obviously have a major impact on all PC manufacturers and system integrators! > Perhaps someone within this newsgroup is able to confirm (or otherwise) this ground-shift."
Anybody who knows his/her ... from a hole in the ground in the EU Approvals business should have noted that the reporter was so unfamiliar with the intent of the Directives that further reading of his/her communication would be an excercise in futility. Too bad I don't know what well-known PC manufacturer uses staff that is so ill informed, so I could sell any shares I might hold in that outfit. Ciao, Vic Boersma
