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FAQEU

EU EMC Directive FAQ custom installations

Custom site work does not remove EMC obligations. The first question is whether the item is , a mobile installation, a , or specific apparatus made only for one fixed installation.

This FAQ helps separate CE-marked duties from fixed-installation evidence, good engineering practices, installation instructions, and Article 19 documentation.

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Author
Sorena AI
Published
May 9, 2026
Updated
Jul 25, 2026
4 sections4 primary sources
Overview

A custom installation needs EMC Directive evidence whenever it is equipment within Directive 2014/30/EU and the team must show that electromagnetic disturbance is controlled. The evidence differs by classification: normally needs conformity assessment, technical documentation, an EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, and use instructions; a is not CE marked as an installation, but must be installed using good engineering practices and component intended-use information, with documentation held by the responsible person while it operates.

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4 of 4 questions
Question 1

When does a custom installation need EMC Directive evidence?

Start by classifying the thing being delivered. Under Directive 2014/30/EU, equipment means or a . Apparatus is a finished appliance, or a combination made available on the market as a single functional unit for an end-user, that may cause electromagnetic disturbance or be affected by it. A fixed installation is a particular combination of apparatus and, where relevant, other devices, assembled and intended for permanent use at a predefined location.

If the custom work is , the manufacturer remains responsible for the apparatus route: EMC assessment, technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, identification, traceability, and installation or use information. If the custom work is a , the installation itself is not subject to CE marking or an EU declaration of conformity, but the responsible person must be able to show that the installation follows good engineering practices and respects component intended-use instructions.

A narrow exists for intended only for incorporation into a particular and not otherwise made available on the market. In that case, the usual apparatus provisions listed in Article 19 do not have to be applied to that specific apparatus, but the accompanying documentation must identify the fixed installation, its EMC characteristics, the apparatus identifying information, and the precautions needed so the installation's conformity is not compromised.

  • Treat mobile installations as when they are combinations intended to be moved and operated in a range of locations.
  • Do not use the fixed-installation route for ordinary commercial that can be supplied outside the named installation.
  • For a site-specific Article 19 exemption, keep a direct link between the specific apparatus and the named , including the installation location or characteristics where needed.
  • For a , define the installation boundary, the relevant ports and interfaces, likely coupling paths, and the radiation or conducted-disturbance relationship with the external environment.

Does a custom-built site installation avoid EU EMC Directive evidence?

No. Custom site work still needs EMC evidence if it is equipment within Directive 2014/30/EU. The evidence changes with the classification: needs the apparatus conformity route, while a needs documented good engineering practices, component intended-use information, and records kept by the responsible person while the installation operates.

Can custom for one skip CE marking under the EMC Directive?

Only in the Article 19 situation: the must be intended for incorporation into a particular and must not otherwise be made available on the market. The accompanying documentation still has to identify the fixed installation and its EMC characteristics, identify the apparatus and manufacturer or importer, and state incorporation precautions.

Does using only CE-marked prove that a custom complies?

No. CE-marked and its instructions are important inputs, but the still has to meet the EMC essential requirements at the site. The responsible person should check the combined equipment, electromagnetic environment, interfaces, cable routes, screening, earthing, filters, distances, and any departures from supplier instructions. For a simple installation, retaining and following the supplier instructions may be enough evidence; a complex or disturbance-prone installation needs a fuller site-specific record.

Recommended next step

Check the EMC classification before documenting the installation

Separate apparatus evidence from fixed-installation evidence before release, handover, or authority response. The record should show the classification, installation conditions, responsible person, and retained EMC evidence.

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Question 2

What fixed-installation evidence should be retained?

For a , keep the evidence with the person or persons responsible for establishing compliance of the installation. Directive 2014/30/EU requires the good engineering practice documentation to be held at the disposal of national authorities for inspection for as long as the fixed installation is in operation.

The evidence should show how the site was configured and why the EMC result is reasonable for that site. For a simple installation made only from CE-marked , the Commission guide says the responsible person may satisfy the documentation requirement by being able to provide the supplier instructions for installation, use, and maintenance. Complex installations should retain more detailed evidence because the local EMC environment, cables, earthing, screening, filters, interfaces, and external coupling paths may matter.

  • Installation description: location, boundaries, main equipment, operating purpose, and interfaces to power, control, telecommunications, networks, or other external systems.
  • Component evidence: supplier installation, use, maintenance, and intended-use instructions for each or relevant component used in the installation.
  • Good engineering practice evidence: applied standards or codes of practice, EMC design choices, filters or absorption devices, cable selection and lengths, screening, distances, equipotential earthing, and immunity precautions.
  • Change evidence: records of replacements, firmware or configuration changes affecting EMC, cable-route changes, added equipment, complaints about disturbance, investigations, corrective actions, and authority correspondence. Revisit the site assessment when a change alters the installation boundary, electromagnetic environment, coupling paths, or supplier conditions.
Question 3

What evidence belongs to custom apparatus?

When the custom item is , keep the apparatus evidence separate from the installation file. The manufacturer must perform an EMC assessment based on relevant phenomena and normal intended operating conditions, including representative configurations for apparatus capable of different configurations.

The technical documentation must make it possible to assess conformity and include an adequate analysis and assessment of risks. Directive 2014/30/EU lists a general description, design and manufacturing drawings, explanations needed to understand the apparatus, the harmonised standards applied in full or in part or other technical solutions used, design calculations or examinations, and test reports where applicable.

  • identification: model, type, batch or serial number, manufacturer details, importer details where applicable, hardware or software revision if it affects EMC conformity.
  • Assessment evidence: EMC phenomena considered, intended operating environment, configurations assessed, standards applied, deviations from standards, technical justification, calculations, examinations, and test reports.
  • Market evidence: EU declaration of conformity, CE marking basis, instructions, residential-use restrictions where compliance is not ensured in residential areas, and language versions required for the intended Member State market.
  • Installation handoff: precautions for assembly, installation, maintenance, and use so that the remains compliant when put into service.
Question 4

What should the record say for the Article 19 specific-apparatus route?

Use the only when the facts are narrow enough: the is for a particular and is not otherwise made available on the market. The record should not merely say 'custom' or 'site-built'. It should identify the fixed installation, describe the EMC characteristics that matter, and explain why ordinary apparatus availability is not the fact pattern.

The accompanying documentation should travel with the specific and be available to the installation owner, installer, operator, or responsible person. It should give enough information to install the apparatus without compromising the 's conformity.

  • Name the and its location. For more than one identical fixed installation, identify the characteristics and specific location of each installation for which the is intended.
  • Describe the installation EMC characteristics: environment, relevant interfaces, expected disturbances, immunity needs, cable and earthing assumptions, and any special installation constraints.
  • Identify the by type, batch, serial number, or another traceable identifier, and include manufacturer and importer contact details where required.
  • State incorporation precautions, including installation conditions, auxiliary devices, cable specifications or length limits, screening, earthing, and maintenance conditions needed to preserve conformity.
  • Record who is responsible for the fixed-installation evidence and where the documentation will be retained while the installation operates.
Primary sources

References and citations

European Commission - Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)
ec.europa.eu5 citations
Referenced sections
  • Commission guidance used for practical classification, fixed-installation documentation, specific apparatus, and good engineering practice examples.
  • Commission guidance explaining classification as apparatus or fixed installation, specific apparatus for fixed installations, documentation, and good engineering practices.
  • Explains what good engineering practice can cover for fixed installations, including site-specific EMC measures and supplier instructions.
Show 2 more
  • Provides practical guidance on apparatus scope, EMC assessment, technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, and use information.
  • Explains that the specific-apparatus exemption is case-by-case and depends on a direct link to the fixed installation and its responsible parties.
"Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)"
More quoted passages
"Classification as apparatus or fixed installation"
"good for EMC purposes at the specific site"
"Documentation required by the EMCD"
"A link provider-customer is required."
Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility
data.europa.eu4 citations
Referenced sections
  • Defines apparatus, fixed installations, Article 18 use information, Article 19 fixed-installation documentation, and the Annex I installation requirement.
  • Article 19 requires good engineering practice documentation to be retained for fixed installations while they are in operation and available to national authorities.
  • Annex II defines the manufacturer's EMC assessment and technical documentation obligations for apparatus under internal production control.
Show 1 more
  • Article 19 sets the conditions and documentation content for apparatus intended for a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available on the market.
"equipment means any apparatus or fixed installation"
More quoted passages
"for as long as the fixed installation is in operation"
"The manufacturer shall establish the technical documentation."
"intended for incorporation into a particular fixed installation"
European Commission - Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive
single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu2 citations
Referenced sections
  • Commission overview confirming EMC requirements for equipment and the good-engineering-practice expectation for fixed installations, with links to EMCD guidance.
  • Commission page confirming that equipment must comply with EMC requirements and that good engineering practice is required for fixed installations.
"good engineering practice is required for fixed installations"
More quoted passages
"equipment (apparatus and fixed installations) needs to comply with EMC requirements"
Consolidated Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility
data.europa.eu
Referenced sections
  • Current consolidated legal text as of 30 May 2026 for apparatus and fixed-installation definitions, Article 18 use information, Article 19 documentation, and Annex I fixed-installation requirements.
"equipment means any apparatus or fixed installation"

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