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EMC CE / Product Safety 10 min

EMC: Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (Directive 2014/30/EU), explained

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive requires apparatus and fixed installations to limit their emissions and withstand expected disturbance, with duties for manufacturers, authorised representatives, importers and distributors. It has applied since 20 April 2016, replacing Directive 2004/108/EC; the emergency procedures added by Directive (EU) 2024/2749 apply from 30 May 2026.

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Reviewed 24 September 2026 by Conphora compliance team · Next review 13 March 2027 · Not legal advice

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Who it applies to

Covered by the act

  • Apparatus: any finished appliance or combination of appliances made available on the market as a single functional unit for the end user that is liable to generate electromagnetic disturbance or whose performance is liable to be affected by it
  • Components and sub-assemblies intended for incorporation by the end user, and mobile installations intended to be moved and operated in a range of locations, which count as apparatus
  • Fixed installations: particular combinations of apparatus and other devices assembled, installed and intended for permanent use at a predefined location, such as industrial plants, networks and large machines
  • Household appliances, IT and office equipment, industrial equipment, lighting, power tools, machinery controls and any other electrical or electronic product with active electronics
  • The economic operators in the chain: manufacturers, authorised representatives, importers and distributors, plus the person responsible for a fixed installation

Derived and downstream products

  • Radio equipment is excluded (Article 2(2)(a) still cites Directive 1999/5/EC, read as Directive 2014/53/EU since its repeal on 13 June 2016), and the Radio Equipment Directive requires an adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility as set out in this directive as one of its own essential requirements (Art. 2(2)(a); Directive 2014/53/EU, Art. 3(1)(b))
  • Where other Union legislation lays down the Annex I essential requirements more specifically for particular equipment, the directive does not apply to that equipment in respect of those requirements (Art. 2(3))
  • Equipment whose physical characteristics make it inherently incapable of exceeding acceptable emission levels and immune to the disturbance of its intended use, such as passive equipment without active electronics, is excluded (Art. 2(2)(d))
  • Apparatus intended for incorporation into a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available on the market is not subject to the requirements of Articles 6 to 12 and 14 to 18 on a compulsory basis, provided the documentation identifies the installation, its EMC characteristics and the precautions to take (Art. 19(1))
  • An importer or distributor that sells under its own name or trade mark, or modifies apparatus in a way that may affect compliance, is treated as the manufacturer (Art. 11)

Roles under the act

Manufacturer (including brand owners)

Any natural or legal person who manufactures apparatus or has apparatus designed or manufactured, and markets that apparatus under his name or trade mark; an importer or distributor that sells under its own brand or modifies apparatus in a way that may affect compliance is treated as the manufacturer.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (11), and Art. 11
Authorised representative or person responsible for a fixed installation

An authorised representative is any natural or legal person established within the Union who has received a written mandate from a manufacturer to act on his behalf in relation to specified tasks; for fixed installations, Member States identify the person or persons responsible for establishing compliance with the essential requirements.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (12), Art. 8(1) and Art. 19(3)
Importer

Any natural or legal person established within the Union who places apparatus from a third country on the Union market.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (13)
Distributor (wholesaler or retailer)

Any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or the importer, who makes apparatus available on the market.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (14)

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Does EMC apply to your product?

Three questions, a first answer from the regulation’s own scope rules. No account needed.

The rules behind this check
  1. Equipment with an intentional radio function (covered by the Radio Equipment Directive) · any · any Not in scope Radio equipment is excluded from the directive; the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU requires an adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility as set out in this directive as one of its own essential requirements, so the EMC requirements are met through the RED conformity assessment. Source · Art. 2(2)(a)Source · Art. 3(1)(b)
  2. Inherently benign equipment without active electronics (cables, passive components, simple resistive loads), Aviation equipment within the EASA basic regulation intended exclusively for airborne use, Radio equipment for radio amateurs that is not made available on the market (kits, self-built or modified equipment), Custom-built evaluation kit for professionals used solely at research and development facilities · any · any Not in scope Article 2(2) excludes aviation equipment within Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 intended exclusively for airborne use, radio amateur equipment not made available on the market, equipment whose physical characteristics make it inherently incapable of exceeding acceptable emissions and immune to the disturbance of its intended use, and custom-built evaluation kits for research and development. Source · Art. 2(2)
  3. Apparatus intended only for incorporation into a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available · any · any It depends For apparatus intended for incorporation into a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available on the market, Articles 6 to 12 and 14 to 18 are not compulsory, provided its documentation identifies the installation, its EMC characteristics and the precautions for incorporation and carries the manufacturer's and importer's identification (Art. 19(1)). Source · Art. 19(1)
  4. Fixed installation assembled and intended for permanent use at a predefined location · any · any In scope A fixed installation must meet the Annex I essential requirements and be installed applying good engineering practices and respecting the intended use of its components; the practices are documented and held by the person responsible for as long as the installation operates, and the competent authorities may request evidence of compliance and impose measures where complaints indicate disturbance. Source · Art. 6, Art. 19 and Annex I, point 2
  5. Finished electrical or electronic apparatus with active components (appliances, IT equipment, lighting, tools, industrial equipment), Component or sub-assembly intended for incorporation by the end user, or a mobile installation · Manufacturer (including brand owners), Importer, Distributor (wholesaler or retailer), Authorised representative or person responsible for a fixed installation · any In scope Apparatus, including components and sub-assemblies for incorporation by the end user and mobile installations, may be made available or put into service only if it complies with the directive when properly installed, maintained and used; the obligations fall on the manufacturer, authorised representative, importer and distributor and contain no company-size threshold. Source · Art. 2(1), Art. 3(2), Art. 4 and Art. 3(1), point (15)
  6. any · any · any It depends Whether the directive applies turns on whether the equipment is liable to generate or be affected by electromagnetic disturbance, whether it is radio equipment or another Article 2(2) exclusion, whether it is apparatus or a fixed installation, and which role the operator holds. Source · Art. 2 and Art. 3

Key dates

  1. Directive 2014/30/EU adopted by the European Parliament and the Council as a recast of Directive 2004/108/EC Source · title and signature block after Art. 47
  2. Entry into force, the twentieth day after publication in OJ L 96 of 29 March 2014 Source · Art. 46
  3. Deadline for Member States to adopt and publish the laws transposing the operative articles and Annexes II to IV Source · Art. 44(1)
  4. National measures apply and Articles 1, 2, the first definitions of Article 3, Article 5(2) and (3), Article 6, Article 13, Article 19(3) and Annex I apply directly; Directive 2004/108/EC repealed; equipment conforming to the old directive and placed on the market before this date may still be made available or put into service Source · Art. 43, Art. 44(1), Art. 45 and Art. 46
  5. Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 in force: the aviation exclusion in Article 2(2)(b) redrawn so that only aviation equipment within the EASA basic regulation and intended exclusively for airborne use is excluded, with certified unmanned aircraft on protected aeronautical frequencies Source · Art. 2(2)(b) (M1)Source
  6. Directive (EU) 2024/2749 in force: internal market emergency procedures inserted as Chapter 5a (Articles 40a to 40c); transposition by 29 May 2026 Source · Art. 5, Art. 11 and Art. 12
  7. National measures transposing the emergency procedures of Directive (EU) 2024/2749 apply Source · Art. 11(2)

What you must do

Obligations by role

Manufacturer (including brand owners)15
  • Design and manufacture apparatus, having regard to the state of the art, so that the electromagnetic disturbance it generates does not exceed the level above which radio, telecommunications or other equipment cannot operate as intended, and so that it has the immunity to the disturbance expected in its intended use to operate without unacceptable degradation. Art. 6, Art. 7(1) and Annex I, point 1
  • Perform an electromagnetic compatibility assessment of the apparatus on the basis of the relevant phenomena, covering all normal intended operating conditions and every configuration identified as representative of its intended use. Annex II, point 2
  • Draw up the technical documentation, including an adequate analysis and assessment of the risks, the design and manufacturing drawings, the harmonised standards applied or the solutions adopted, design calculations and test reports. Art. 7(2) and Annex II, point 3
  • Carry out the conformity assessment: Module A internal production control under Annex II, or EU-type examination followed by conformity to type under Annex III for some or all aspects of the essential requirements. Art. 7(2) and Art. 14
  • Draw up the EU declaration of conformity per Annex IV for each apparatus model, translated into the languages the Member State requires and, where several Union acts apply, as a single declaration covering them all. Art. 7(2) and Art. 15
  • Keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the authorities for 10 years after the apparatus was placed on the market. Art. 7(3)
  • Keep series production of the apparatus in conformity, taking account of changes in its design or characteristics and in the harmonised standards or technical specifications by reference to which conformity is declared. Art. 7(4)
  • Mark the apparatus with a type, batch or serial number or other identifier and with your name, registered trade name or trade mark and a single postal contact address, or where size or nature does not allow it, on the packaging or in an accompanying document, in a language end users and authorities understand. Art. 7(5) and Art. 7(6)
  • Supply instructions and the Article 18 information in the language the Member State determines: the specific precautions for assembly, installation, maintenance and use needed to keep the apparatus compliant, a clear indication, where appropriate also on the packaging, if compliance is not ensured in residential areas, and the information needed to use the apparatus as intended. Art. 7(7) and Art. 18
  • Affix the CE marking visibly, legibly and indelibly to the apparatus or its data plate, or where that is not possible to the packaging and the accompanying documents, subject to the general principles of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008. Art. 16 and Art. 17
  • If you consider or have reason to believe that apparatus you placed on the market does not conform, immediately bring it into conformity, withdraw or recall it, and where it presents a risk inform the competent authorities of the Member States where you made it available with details of the non-compliance and the corrective measures. Art. 7(8)
  • On a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide all the information and documentation needed to demonstrate the conformity of the apparatus, in paper or electronic form and in a language that authority can easily understand, and cooperate with it on any action to eliminate the risks posed by apparatus you placed on the market. Art. 7(9)
  • Be able to identify to the market surveillance authorities, for 10 years after the supply, every economic operator that supplied you with apparatus and every economic operator you supplied with it. Art. 12
  • For apparatus intended only for incorporation into a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available, identify in the accompanying documentation the fixed installation and its electromagnetic compatibility characteristics, the precautions for incorporation, and your identification and address. Art. 19(1)
  • Articles 6 to 12 and 14 to 18 are not compulsory for apparatus intended only for incorporation into a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available. Art. 19(1)
Authorised representative or person responsible for a fixed installation4
  • Act as authorised representative only under a written mandate from the manufacturer that sets out the tasks you perform. Art. 8(1) and Art. 8(2)
  • Keep the EU declaration of conformity and the technical documentation at the disposal of the national market surveillance authorities for 10 years after the apparatus was placed on the market. Art. 8(2)(a)
  • On a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide all the information and documentation needed to demonstrate the conformity of the apparatus, and cooperate with the authorities on any action to eliminate the risks posed by the apparatus covered by your mandate. Art. 8(2)(b) and (c)
  • The mandate cannot cover the design and manufacturing duty of Article 7(1) or drawing up the technical documentation; those stay with the manufacturer. Art. 8(1)
Importer9
  • Place only compliant apparatus on the market, and before doing so check that the manufacturer carried out the conformity assessment, drew up the technical documentation, affixed the CE marking, supplied the required documents and applied the identification and address markings; hold non-conforming apparatus back and inform the manufacturer and the authorities where it presents a risk. Art. 9(1) and Art. 9(2)
  • Indicate your name, registered trade name or trade mark and a postal contact address on the apparatus or, where not possible, on its packaging or in an accompanying document, in a language end users and authorities understand. Art. 9(3)
  • Ensure the apparatus is accompanied by instructions and the Article 18 information in the language the Member State determines. Art. 9(4)
  • While apparatus is under your responsibility, keep its storage and transport conditions from jeopardising its compliance with the essential requirements. Art. 9(5)
  • If apparatus you placed on the market does not conform, immediately take corrective measures, withdraw or recall it, and where it presents a risk inform the competent authorities of the Member States concerned. Art. 9(6)
  • Keep a copy of the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities for 10 years after the apparatus was placed on the market, and ensure the technical documentation can be made available to them on request. Art. 9(7)
  • On a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide all the information and documentation needed to demonstrate the conformity of the apparatus, in a language that authority can easily understand, and cooperate with it on any action to eliminate the risks posed by apparatus you placed on the market. Art. 9(8)
  • Be able to identify to the market surveillance authorities, for 10 years after the supply, every economic operator that supplied you with apparatus and every economic operator you supplied with it. Art. 12
  • If you place apparatus on the market under your own name or trade mark, or modify apparatus in a way that may affect compliance, you carry the manufacturer's obligations under Article 7. Art. 11
Distributor (wholesaler or retailer)6
  • Act with due care and, before making apparatus available, verify that it bears the CE marking, is accompanied by the required documents and by instructions and the Article 18 information in the language of the Member State where it is sold, and that the manufacturer and importer have applied their identification and address markings; hold non-conforming apparatus back and inform the manufacturer or importer and the authorities where it presents a risk. Art. 10(1) and Art. 10(2)
  • Keep storage and transport conditions from jeopardising compliance with the essential requirements. Art. 10(3)
  • If apparatus you made available does not conform, make sure corrective measures are taken to bring it into conformity, withdraw or recall it, and where it presents a risk immediately inform the competent authorities of the Member States concerned. Art. 10(4)
  • On a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide all the information and documentation needed to demonstrate the conformity of the apparatus, and cooperate with it on any action to eliminate the risks posed by apparatus you made available. Art. 10(5)
  • Be able to identify to the market surveillance authorities, for 10 years after the supply, every economic operator that supplied you with apparatus and every economic operator you supplied with it. Art. 12
  • If you sell under your own name or trade mark or modify apparatus in a way that may affect compliance, you take on the manufacturer's obligations. Art. 11

EMC in plain terms

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC Directive), formally Directive 2014/30/EU, regulates the electromagnetic compatibility of equipment. Its aim is to ensure the functioning of the internal market by requiring equipment to comply with an adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility (Art. 1), which the directive defines as the ability of equipment to function satisfactorily in its electromagnetic environment without introducing intolerable electromagnetic disturbance to other equipment (Art. 3(1), point (4)). Two essential requirements carry the whole directive: emissions must stay below the level that stops radio, telecommunications or other equipment working as intended, and immunity must be high enough for the equipment to keep working without unacceptable degradation in the disturbance expected in its intended use (Annex I, point 1).

The 2014 text is a recast of Directive 2004/108/EC aligned with the New Legislative Framework, adding the economic operator duties, traceability and market surveillance procedures shared with the Low Voltage and Radio Equipment Directives. As a directive it works through national law: Member States had to transpose it by 19 April 2016 and apply it from 20 April 2016 (Art. 44 and Art. 45).

Official text Read the directive on EUR-Lex: Directive 2014/30/EU (CELEX 32014L0030), or the consolidated text of 30 May 2026 that includes the aviation amendment and the internal market emergency procedures.

Scope

The directive applies to equipment, meaning any apparatus or fixed installation (Art. 2(1) and Art. 3(1), point (1)). Apparatus is any finished appliance or combination of appliances made available on the market as a single functional unit for the end user that is liable to generate electromagnetic disturbance or whose performance is liable to be affected by it; components and sub-assemblies intended for incorporation by the end user, and mobile installations intended to be moved and operated in a range of locations, count as apparatus (Art. 3(1), point (2), and Art. 3(2)). A fixed installation is a particular combination of apparatus and other devices assembled, installed and intended for permanent use at a predefined location (Art. 3(1), point (3)).

Five groups are excluded: radio equipment, which the Radio Equipment Directive covers with its own EMC essential requirement; aviation equipment within Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 intended exclusively for airborne use; radio amateur equipment not made available on the market; equipment whose physical characteristics make it inherently incapable of exceeding acceptable emissions and immune to the disturbance of its intended use; and custom-built evaluation kits for research and development (Art. 2(2); Directive 2014/53/EU, Art. 3(1)(b)). Where other Union legislation lays down the essential requirements more specifically for particular equipment, the directive ceases to apply to that equipment for those requirements (Art. 2(3)), and it does not affect legislation on the safety of equipment (Art. 2(4)).

The duties fall on the economic operators: manufacturer, authorised representative, importer and distributor (Art. 3(1), point (15)), with Member States identifying the person responsible for a fixed installation (Art. 19(3)). A manufacturer is whoever manufactures apparatus or has it designed or manufactured and markets it under his own name or trade mark (Art. 3(1), point (11)), and an importer or distributor that sells under its own brand or modifies apparatus in a way that may affect compliance takes on the manufacturer’s obligations (Art. 11).

What you must do

Essential requirements and harmonised standards

Equipment must meet the Annex I essential requirements (Art. 6): emissions below the level that prevents other equipment from operating as intended, and immunity sufficient to operate without unacceptable degradation, both judged with regard to the state of the art. A fixed installation must in addition be installed applying good engineering practices and respecting the information on the intended use of its components (Annex I, point 2). Equipment that conforms to harmonised standards, or parts of them, whose references are published in the Official Journal is presumed to conform to the requirements those standards cover (Art. 13). Member States may still take special measures to overcome an EMC problem at a specific site or to protect public telecommunications networks and safety-related stations, and must notify them to the Commission (Art. 5(2)).

Conformity assessment, technical documentation and CE marking

Compliance of apparatus is demonstrated either by Module A internal production control under Annex II or by EU-type examination followed by conformity to type based on internal production control under Annex III, and the manufacturer may restrict the notified-body route to some aspects of the essential requirements while using Module A for the rest (Art. 14). Under Module A the manufacturer performs an electromagnetic compatibility assessment of the apparatus on the basis of the relevant phenomena, covering all normal intended operating conditions and every configuration identified as representative of its intended use (Annex II, point 2), establishes technical documentation with a risk analysis, drawings, the standards applied or the solutions adopted, calculations and test reports (Annex II, point 3), keeps manufacturing in conformity (Annex II, point 4), affixes the CE marking to each item and draws up a written EU declaration of conformity for the apparatus model, keeping both for 10 years (Annex II, point 5).

The EU declaration of conformity follows Annex IV, is translated into the languages the Member State requires, is kept up to date and, where several Union acts require a declaration, is a single declaration covering them all (Art. 15). The CE marking is subject to the general principles of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and is affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly to the apparatus or its data plate before placing on the market, or to the packaging and accompanying documents where the nature of the apparatus does not allow it (Art. 16 and Art. 17).

Information, instructions and traceability

The apparatus carries a type, batch or serial number and the manufacturer’s name and single postal contact address; importers add their own (Art. 7(5), 7(6) and 9(3)). Instructions in the language the Member State determines must state the specific precautions to take when assembling, installing, maintaining or using the apparatus so that it stays compliant, give the information needed to use it as intended and, where compliance is not ensured in residential areas, indicate that restriction clearly, where appropriate also on the packaging (Art. 7(7) and Art. 18). All operators identify their suppliers and customers for 10 years (Art. 12).

Fixed installations

Apparatus made available on the market that may be incorporated into a fixed installation must comply as apparatus. For apparatus intended for incorporation into a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available, Articles 6 to 12 and 14 to 18 are not compulsory, provided its documentation identifies the installation and its EMC characteristics, the precautions for incorporation and the manufacturer’s and importer’s identification (Art. 19(1)). The good engineering practices applied to the installation are documented and held by the person responsible at the disposal of the national authorities for as long as the installation is in operation. Where there are indications of non-compliance, in particular complaints about disturbance, the competent authorities may request evidence of compliance, initiate an evaluation and impose measures to bring the installation into compliance (Art. 19(2)).

Obligations by role

Manufacturers design and manufacture to the essential requirements, assess, document and declare conformity, affix the CE marking, keep the documents for 10 years, keep series production in conformity, mark the apparatus with an identifier and their name and address, supply instructions and the Article 18 information, take corrective action and inform the authorities of risks, and cooperate on request (Art. 7). Authorised representatives act under a mandate that must at least cover keeping the documents and cooperating with authorities, and cannot take over design or documentation duties (Art. 8). Importers place only compliant apparatus on the market, verify the manufacturer’s work, add their own name and address, ensure instructions in the required language, protect the apparatus in storage and transport, take corrective action and keep the declaration for 10 years (Art. 9). Distributors verify the CE marking, documents, language and markings before making apparatus available, protect it in storage and transport and see that corrective action is taken (Art. 10). Importers and distributors that sell under their own brand or modify apparatus become manufacturers (Art. 11).

Emergency procedures from 30 May 2026

Directive (EU) 2024/2749 inserted Chapter 5a. Articles 40b and 40c apply only to apparatus designated as crisis-relevant goods, only while an internal market emergency mode under Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 is active and only after the Commission has adopted the corresponding implementing act (Art. 40a). During such a period the Commission may list standards or establish common specifications that give a presumption of conformity where harmonised standards are missing or cannot be used, and Member States prioritise market surveillance of the listed apparatus and assist one another (Art. 40b and Art. 40c).

Enforcement and penalties

Market surveillance follows Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (the directive’s Article 37 cites Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, whose surveillance chapter that regulation replaced on 16 July 2021). Where an authority has sufficient reason to believe that apparatus presents a risk to the public interests the directive protects, it evaluates the apparatus, requires corrective action, withdrawal or recall within a period commensurate with the risk and, if the operator does not act, prohibits or restricts the making available, withdraws or recalls the apparatus and informs the Commission and the other Member States (Art. 38). The Commission decides disputed national measures through the Union safeguard procedure (Art. 39). Formal non-compliance, such as missing or wrongly affixed CE marking, a missing or incorrect declaration, incomplete technical documentation or missing identification and address information, must be ended and otherwise leads to restriction, prohibition, withdrawal or recall (Art. 40), and non-compliant fixed installations are brought into compliance by the measures the competent authority imposes (Art. 19(2)).

Penalties are set nationally: Member States lay down effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for infringements of their transposing laws, which may include criminal penalties for serious infringements (Art. 42). In Denmark, the directive is implemented through the act on radio equipment and electromagnetic compatibility (lovbekendtgørelse nr. 958 of 22 June 2022) and executive order nr. 1107 of 6 November 2019; Sikkerhedsstyrelsen, which since January 2026 is a department of Erhvervsstyrelsen (the Danish Business Authority) named Markedsovervågning, controls the products on behalf of Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Infrastruktur, which holds the sector responsibility.

How Conphora helps

Conphora monitors the EMC Directive and its harmonised standards and maps your products against the emission and immunity requirements, flagging gaps in the electromagnetic compatibility assessment, the technical documentation, the EU declaration of conformity and the markings before they become enforcement problems. The platform helps you build and keep the documentation and the 10-year records, combines the EMC declaration with the LVD and other declarations the same product needs, and alerts you when a standard or the directive changes.

See how Conphora works · See plans and pricing

Sources

This guide is for general information and is not legal advice.

Penalties

Enforced by National market surveillance authorities enforce the national laws transposing the directive with the powers of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, which since 16 July 2021 replaces the market-surveillance chapter of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 that the directive cites; in Denmark, Sikkerhedsstyrelsen (since January 2026 the Markedsovervågning department of Erhvervsstyrelsen) controls apparatus on behalf of Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Infrastruktur, which holds the sector responsibility, under the Danish act on radio equipment and electromagnetic compatibility. The toolkit is corrective action within a set period, prohibition or restriction of the making available, withdrawal or recall, orders to end formal non-compliance such as missing CE marking or declaration, measures against non-compliant fixed installations, and national penalties that must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive and may include criminal penalties for serious infringements.

Member States lay down the rules on penalties for infringements of their national transposing laws by economic operators; the penalties must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive and may include criminal penalties for serious infringements. Market surveillance authorities evaluate apparatus that presents a risk to the public interests the directive protects, require corrective action, withdrawal or recall within a period commensurate with the risk, and if the operator fails to act prohibit or restrict the making available, withdraw or recall the apparatus and notify the Commission and the other Member States. Formal non-compliance, such as missing or wrongly affixed CE marking, a missing or incorrect EU declaration of conformity, incomplete technical documentation or missing identification and address information, must be ended and otherwise leads to restriction, prohibition, withdrawal or recall, and the competent authorities may request evidence of compliance of a fixed installation and impose measures to bring it into compliance. In Denmark, the directive is implemented through the act on radio equipment and electromagnetic compatibility (lovbekendtgørelse nr. 958 of 22 June 2022) and executive order nr. 1107 of 6 November 2019, and Sikkerhedsstyrelsen, since January 2026 a department of Erhvervsstyrelsen named Markedsovervågning, controls the products on behalf of Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Infrastruktur.

Source · Art. 42, Art. 38, Art. 40 and Art. 19(2)SourceSource

What changed

Entry into force, amendments and Compliance Radar entries for EMC, newest first.

  1. Applies

    Emergency procedures for crisis-relevant apparatus apply

    The national measures transposing Directive (EU) 2024/2749 apply: Articles 40a to 40c allow the Commission to list standards or set common specifications giving a presumption of conformity, and require prioritised market surveillance and mutual assistance, for apparatus designated as crisis-relevant goods while an internal market emergency mode under Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 is active.

    Source · Art. 5 and Art. 11Source · Art. 40a
  2. Amendment

    Directive (EU) 2024/2749 in force: internal market emergency procedures

    The amending directive of 9 October 2024, published on 8 November 2024, adds the definitions of crisis-relevant goods and internal market emergency mode, inserts Chapter 5a (Articles 40a to 40c) and adds the examination procedure in Article 41(2a); Member States had to transpose by 29 May 2026 and apply the measures from 30 May 2026.

    Source · Art. 5, Art. 11 and Art. 12
  3. Amendment

    Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 redraws the aviation exclusion

    The EASA basic regulation replaced Article 2(2)(b) so that only aviation equipment within its scope and intended exclusively for airborne use is excluded from the directive, including certified unmanned aircraft operating on protected aeronautical frequencies.

    Source · Art. 2(2)(b) (M1)Source
  4. Applies

    Directive 2014/30/EU applies; Directive 2004/108/EC repealed

    Member States apply their transposing measures from 20 April 2016, the directly applicable articles and Annex I apply from the same date, and Directive 2004/108/EC is repealed; equipment conforming to the old directive and placed on the market before 20 April 2016 may still be made available or put into service.

    Source · Art. 43, Art. 44, Art. 45 and Art. 46
  5. In force

    Directive 2014/30/EU enters into force

    Adopted on 26 February 2014 as a recast of Directive 2004/108/EC aligned with the New Legislative Framework and published in OJ L 96 on 29 March 2014, the directive entered into force on the twentieth day after publication; Member States had until 19 April 2016 to transpose it.

    Source · Art. 44(1) and Art. 46

Tools and training

What Conphora offers for EMC.

Start from the problem

A retailer asks for proof that the CE mark is real

There is no CE certificate to send. What proves the CE marking on electrical and radio products, and how to give a retailer the evidence behind it.

Product validation → Documentation generator

We do not know if our product needs CE marking

When CE marking is required: only where an EU harmonisation act provides for it, how to test scope under LVD, EMC, RED and toys, and what to do if not.

Free compliance checker → Regulation guides

We do not know which languages the instructions must be in

Language rules for instructions, safety information, warnings and contact details under the GPSR, LVD, EMC, RED, the Toy Safety Directive and cosmetics.

Regulation guides → Knowledge & insights

We changed the product. Does our compliance still hold?

What EU rules say about design changes: series production, updated technical files and declarations, and when a change makes you the manufacturer.

Product validation → Documentation generator

We added Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to an existing product

Adding a radio makes a product radio equipment: the RED replaces the LVD, new essential and cybersecurity requirements apply, and the paperwork changes.

Regulation guides → Product validation

We sell a machine or power tool

Machines and power tools: the Machinery Directive until 20 January 2027, the Machinery Regulation after it, and the boundary with the LVD.

Regulation guides → Product validation

All problems for EMC →

Questions people ask about EMC

When did the EMC Directive 2014/30/EU start to apply?

The recast directive was adopted on 26 February 2014, published in the Official Journal on 29 March 2014 and entered into force on 18 April 2014. Member States had to transpose it by 19 April 2016 and apply their measures from 20 April 2016, when Directive 2004/108/EC was repealed. Equipment conforming to the old directive and placed on the market before 20 April 2016 may still be made available and put into service.

Source · Art. 43, Art. 44, Art. 45 and Art. 46
What are the EMC essential requirements?

Equipment must be designed and manufactured, having regard to the state of the art, so that the electromagnetic disturbance it generates does not exceed the level above which radio and telecommunications equipment or other equipment cannot operate as intended, and so that it has a level of immunity to the disturbance expected in its intended use that lets it operate without unacceptable degradation. A fixed installation must in addition be installed applying good engineering practices and respecting the information on the intended use of its components.

Source · Art. 6 and Annex I
Does the EMC Directive apply to products with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth?

No. Radio equipment is excluded from the EMC Directive, but the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU requires an adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility as set out in the EMC Directive as one of its essential requirements, so the same emission and immunity performance is assessed through the RED route and covered by the RED declaration of conformity.

Source · Art. 2(2)(a)Source · Art. 3(1)(b)
Do I need a notified body for EMC?

No. The manufacturer may always use Module A internal production control in Annex II, performing the electromagnetic compatibility assessment itself. EU-type examination by a notified body followed by conformity to type under Annex III is an option the manufacturer may choose for some or all aspects of the essential requirements, for example where no harmonised standard covers the apparatus.

Source · Art. 14, Annex II and Annex III
How are fixed installations treated?

A fixed installation is a particular combination of apparatus and other devices assembled, installed and intended for permanent use at a predefined location. It must meet the essential requirements and be installed applying good engineering practices, which are documented and held by the person responsible for as long as the installation operates, but it carries no EU declaration of conformity or CE marking. Apparatus made available on the market that may be incorporated into a fixed installation must comply as apparatus, while for apparatus intended only for a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available, Articles 6 to 12 and 14 to 18 are not compulsory, provided its documentation identifies the installation, its EMC characteristics and the precautions for incorporation and carries the manufacturer's and importer's identification (Art. 19(1)). Authorities may request evidence of compliance where complaints indicate disturbance.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (3), Art. 19 and Annex I, point 2
What information must accompany the apparatus?

Instructions in the language the Member State determines, with the specific precautions to take when assembling, installing, maintaining or using the apparatus so that it stays compliant, the information needed to use it as intended, and, where compliance with the emission and immunity requirements is not ensured in residential areas, a clear indication of that restriction, where appropriate also on the packaging. The apparatus itself carries the CE marking, a type, batch or serial number and the manufacturer's and importer's name and postal address.

Source · Art. 7(5) to Art. 7(7), Art. 9(3), Art. 17 and Art. 18
How long must I keep the technical documentation and traceability records?

Manufacturers keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity for 10 years after the apparatus was placed on the market, authorised representatives keep both at the disposal of the authorities for the same period, and importers keep a copy of the declaration for 10 years and ensure the documentation can be produced. All economic operators must be able to identify who supplied them and whom they supplied for 10 years after the supply, and fixed-installation documentation is kept for as long as the installation is in operation.

Source · Art. 7(3), Art. 8(2), Art. 9(7), Art. 12 and Art. 19(1)

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Related

Related regulations

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Sources

  1. Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility, consolidated text of 30 May 2026 (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02014L0030-20260530
  2. Directive 2014/30/EU as published in OJ L 96, 29 March 2014 (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014L0030
  3. Document information, dates and relationships for CELEX 32014L0030 (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32014L0030
  4. Directive (EU) 2024/2749 on emergency procedures for the conformity assessment and market surveillance of products (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024L2749
  5. Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 on common rules in the field of civil aviation, amending Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32018R1139
  6. Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment, Article 3(1)(b) on electromagnetic compatibility (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014L0053
  7. Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 on accreditation and market surveillance (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R0765
  8. Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (European Commission, DG GROW) https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-industries-eei/electromagnetic-compatibility-emc-directive_en
  9. Kontrol med EMC og RED (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen) https://www.sik.dk/erhverv/produkter/el-produkter/vejledninger/redemc/kontrol-emc-og-red
  10. Sikkerhedsstyrelsen, en del af Erhvervsstyrelsen from January 2026 (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen) https://www.sik.dk/sikkerhedsstyrelsen-del-erhvervsstyrelsen

About this guide

Reviewed by
Conphora compliance team, Compliance editors, Conphora
Reviewed
24 September 2026
Next review
13 March 2027

Written from the official text on EUR-Lex and the Commission’s guidance, with a source for every fact. It is not legal advice.

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Cite this page 
Conphora (2026). EMC: Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (Directive 2014/30/EU), explained. Retrieved 13 October 2026 from https://www.conphora.com/regulations/emc/
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