--- title: "Custom installations under the EU EMC Directive" canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/custom-installations" source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/custom-installations" author: "Sorena AI" description: "When custom equipment, site-built assemblies, and fixed installations need EMC evidence under Directive 2014/30/EU, including Article 19 documentation responsibilities." published_at: "2026-05-09" updated_at: "2026-05-09" keywords: - "EU EMC Directive" - "Directive 2014/30/EU" - "fixed installations" - "specific apparatus" - "EMC evidence" --- **[SORENA](https://www.sorena.io/)** - AI-Powered GRC Platform [Home](https://www.sorena.io/) | [Solutions](https://www.sorena.io/solutions) | [Artifacts](https://www.sorena.io/artifacts) | [About Us](https://www.sorena.io/about-us) | [Contact](https://www.sorena.io/contact) | [Portal](https://app.sorena.io) --- # Custom installations under the EU EMC Directive When custom equipment, site-built assemblies, and fixed installations need EMC evidence under Directive 2014/30/EU, including Article 19 documentation responsibilities. *FAQ* *EU* ## EU EMC Directive FAQ custom installations Custom site work does not remove EMC obligations. The first question is whether the item is apparatus, a mobile installation, a fixed installation, or specific apparatus made only for one fixed installation. Use this FAQ to separate CE-marked apparatus duties from fixed-installation evidence, good engineering practices, installation instructions, and Article 19 documentation. 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: apparatus normally needs conformity assessment, technical documentation, an EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, and use instructions; a fixed installation 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. ## When does a custom installation need EMC Directive evidence? Start by classifying the thing being delivered. Under Directive 2014/30/EU, equipment means apparatus or a fixed installation. 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 apparatus, 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 fixed installation, 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 Article 19 route exists for apparatus intended only for incorporation into a particular fixed installation 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 apparatus 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 apparatus that can be supplied outside the named installation. - For a site-specific Article 19 apparatus exemption, keep a direct link between the specific apparatus and the named fixed installation, including the installation location or characteristics where needed. - For a fixed installation, define the installation boundary, the relevant ports and interfaces, likely coupling paths, and the radiation or conducted-disturbance relationship with the external environment. Sources for this answer: - [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility](https://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/30/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Defines apparatus, fixed installations, Article 18 use information, Article 19 fixed-installation documentation, and the Annex I installation requirement. - [European Commission - Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-industries-eei/electromagnetic-compatibility-emc-directive_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission page confirming that equipment must comply with EMC requirements and that good engineering practice is required for fixed installations. - [European Commission - Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)](https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/33601?ref=sorena.io) - Commission guidance explaining classification as apparatus or fixed installation, specific apparatus for fixed installations, documentation, and good engineering practices. ## What fixed-installation evidence should be retained? For a fixed installation, 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 apparatus, 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 apparatus 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. Sources for this answer: - [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility](https://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/30/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 19 requires good engineering practice documentation to be retained for fixed installations while they are in operation and available to national authorities. - [European Commission - Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)](https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/33601?ref=sorena.io) - Explains what good engineering practice can cover for fixed installations, including site-specific EMC measures and supplier instructions. ## What evidence belongs to custom apparatus? When the custom item is apparatus, 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 apparatus 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. - Apparatus 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 apparatus remains compliant when put into service. Sources for this answer: - [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility](https://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/30/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Annex II defines the manufacturer's EMC assessment and technical documentation obligations for apparatus under internal production control. - [European Commission - Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)](https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/33601?ref=sorena.io) - Provides practical guidance on apparatus scope, EMC assessment, technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, and use information. ## What should the record say for the Article 19 specific-apparatus route? Use the Article 19 route only when the facts are narrow enough: the apparatus is for a particular fixed installation 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 apparatus and be available to the installation owner, installer, operator, or responsible person. It should give enough information to install the apparatus without compromising the fixed installation's conformity. - Name the fixed installation and location or set of identical installations for which the apparatus 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 apparatus 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. Sources for this answer: - [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility](https://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/30/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 19 sets the conditions and documentation content for apparatus intended for a particular fixed installation and not otherwise made available on the market. - [European Commission - Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)](https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/33601?ref=sorena.io) - Explains that the specific-apparatus exemption is case-by-case and depends on a direct link to the fixed installation and its responsible parties. ## Primary sources - [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility](https://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/30/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Primary legal source for apparatus, fixed-installation definitions, Article 18 use information, Article 19 documentation, and Annex I fixed-installation requirements. - Quote: "equipment means any apparatus or fixed installation" - [European Commission - Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-industries-eei/electromagnetic-compatibility-emc-directive_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirming EMC requirements for equipment and the good-engineering-practice expectation for fixed installations, with links to EMCD guidance. - Quote: "good engineering practice is required for fixed installations" - [European Commission - Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)](https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/33601?ref=sorena.io) - Commission guidance used for practical classification, fixed-installation documentation, specific apparatus, and good engineering practice examples. - Quote: "Guide for the EMCD (Directive 2014/30/EU)" ## Topic Guides - [Are passive components covered by the EMC Directive? | EMC Directive FAQ](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/passive-components.md): When passive components are outside EMC Directive apparatus scope, when end-user incorporation can bring them inside scope, and what documentation to keep. - [Can cables or wiring affect EMC Directive compliance?](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/cables.md): FAQ on how cables, wiring, shielding, routing, length assumptions, instructions, and fixed-installation conditions affect EMC Directive evidence. - [EMC Directive Applicability Test for EU Equipment](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/applicability-test.md): Test whether EU equipment is EMC Directive apparatus, a fixed installation, inherently benign, or covered by RED or other more specific Union legislation. - [EMC Directive boundary for vehicle equipment](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/vehicle-equipment-boundary.md): When vehicle equipment needs EU vehicle type approval, an EMC Directive declaration of conformity, both checks, or separate vehicle-specific sourcing. - [EMC Directive compliance checklist](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/checklist.md): Checklist for Directive 2014/30/EU covering EMC scope, essential requirements, standards evidence, technical documentation, EU DoC, CE marking, operator checks, and post-market records. - [EMC Directive Compliance Pathway](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/compliance.md): Grounded EU EMC Directive compliance pathway for apparatus: scope, essential requirements, conformity assessment, harmonised standards, technical documentation, EU DoC, CE marking, instructions, and retained evidence. - [EMC Directive Conformity Assessment and Technical Documentation](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/conformity-assessment-and-documentation.md): Grounded guide to EMC Directive conformity assessment for apparatus: Annex II internal production control, optional Annex III EU-type examination, technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, instructions, and retention evidence. - [EMC Directive deadlines and compliance calendar](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/deadlines-and-compliance-calendar.md): Key EMC Directive 2014/30/EU dates, release gates, document-retention clocks, harmonised-standard update checks, and authority-response timing. - [EMC Directive DoC and technical-file release gate](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/doc-and-technical-file-release-gate-workflow.md): A pre-release EMC Directive workflow for checking scope, essential requirements, standards evidence, technical documentation, EU DoC, CE marking, instructions, and importer or distributor readiness. - [EMC Directive Essential Requirements and Testing](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/essential-requirements-and-testing.md): Grounded guide to EMC Directive essential requirements, disturbance and immunity assessment, intended-use evidence, harmonised standards, and technical-file records. - [EMC Directive Fixed Installation Documentation](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/fixed-installation-documentation.md): Documentation guide for EU EMC Directive fixed installations: good engineering practices, apparatus integration, EMC evidence, change records, and authority-ready files. - [EMC Directive Harmonised Standards and Deviations](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/harmonized-standards-and-deviations.md): How EMC Directive harmonised standards create presumption of conformity, how OJEU references and withdrawals work, and how to document deviations in the technical file. - [EMC Directive harmonised-standard selection workflow](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/harmonized-standard-selection-workflow.md): A grounded workflow for selecting EMC Directive harmonised standards, checking OJEU citation and withdrawal dates, mapping standards to essential requirements, and recording technical-file evidence. - [EMC Directive inherently benign equipment scope guide](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/inherently-benign-and-borderline-equipment.md): Decide whether equipment is inherently benign, apparatus, a component, or part of a fixed installation under the EU EMC Directive using official scope criteria and examples. - [EMC Directive language and EU declaration packaging](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/language-and-declaration-packaging.md): Package EMC Directive instructions, contact details, CE marking records, and EU Declaration of Conformity translations before apparatus is placed on EU markets. - [EMC Directive penalties and enforcement](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/penalties-and-fines.md): How EMC Directive penalties work: Member State sanctions, market-surveillance corrective action, withdrawal or recall, and evidence to keep when apparatus is challenged. - [EMC Directive post-market evidence pack](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/post-market-evidence.md): What EU EMC Directive evidence to retain after placing apparatus on the EU market: technical documentation, EU DoC, traceability, corrective actions, and authority-response records. - [EMC Directive requirements for apparatus and fixed installations](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/requirements.md): EU EMC Directive requirements for essential EMC performance, apparatus conformity assessment, technical documentation, EU DoC, CE marking, instructions, economic operators, and fixed installations. - [EMC Directive scope triage workflow](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/emc-scope-triage-workflow.md): Classify EU EMC Directive scope for apparatus, fixed installations, inherently benign equipment, overlap with other EU product rules, and the evidence to keep. - [EMC Directive scope: apparatus, fixed installations, and exclusions](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/scope-and-borderline-cases.md): Grounded guide to EU EMC Directive scope decisions for apparatus, fixed installations, inherently benign equipment, passive parts, cables, custom R&D kits, and RED/LVD overlap. - [EMC Directive test failure remediation workflow](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/test-failure-remediation-workflow.md): A grounded EU EMC Directive workflow for failed EMC tests: triage the failure, assess essential requirements, update design evidence, plan retesting, and control release. - [EMC Directive Timeline: practical guide](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/timeline.md): EU EMC Directive guide to Timeline with scope decisions, owner actions, evidence records, source-linked citations, and practical next steps. - [EMC Directive vs Machinery Regulation: compliance boundaries](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/emc-vs-machinery-regulation.md): Compare EU EMC evidence with machinery safety compliance: disturbance, immunity, technical documentation, standards, EU declarations of conformity, and CE marking overlap. - [EMC Directive vs Market Surveillance Regulation](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/emc-vs-market-surveillance-regulation.md): Compare EMC Directive product conformity duties with Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 market-surveillance cooperation, authority requests, evidence, and corrective action. - [EMC Directive vs Radio Equipment Directive](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/emc-vs-radio-equipment-directive.md): Compare when EU radio products fall under RED for EMC, when standalone EMC Directive evidence is still needed, and how to handle CE, DoC, technical files, and standards overlap. - [EMC for products with integrated radio modules | EMC Directive FAQ](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/integrated-radio-modules.md): FAQ on when RED or the EMC Directive applies to products with radio modules, and what host-product evidence, technical documentation, DoC records, and test assumptions to keep. - [EMC vs Low Voltage Directive: EU product compliance comparison](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/emc-vs-low-voltage-directive.md): Compare the EU EMC Directive and Low Voltage Directive for electrical equipment: disturbance and immunity, safety overlap, CE evidence, DoC content, and harmonised standards. - [EU EMC Directive EMC Test Plan Template](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/emc-test-plan-template.md): Template fields for planning EU EMC Directive testing: product identification, intended environment, standards, emission and immunity coverage, configurations, deviations, reports, and release evidence. - [EU EMC Directive FAQ: apparatus, fixed installations, importers](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq.md): Answers to common EU EMC Directive questions on apparatus, fixed installations, cables, passive components, importers, failed tests, radio modules, modifications, standards, and documentation. - [EU EMC Directive test plan selection](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/test-plan-selection.md): How to select EMC standards, phenomena, configurations, deviations, and evidence for a Directive 2014/30/EU test plan without inventing unsupported limits. - [EU EMC Directive: Apparatus vs Fixed Installations](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/apparatus-vs-fixed-installations.md): Compare apparatus and fixed installations under Directive 2014/30/EU, including end-user scope, placing on the market, documentation, good engineering practice, and evidence differences. - [What must EU importers check under the EMC Directive?](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/eu-importer-duties.md): A grounded FAQ on EMC Directive importer duties before placing apparatus on the EU market: manufacturer conformity assessment, DoC, CE marking, traceability, instructions, storage, corrective action, and authority cooperation. - [What should teams do after a failed EMC test? | EMC Directive FAQ](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/failed-emc-tests.md): What a failed EU EMC emission or immunity test means for essential requirements, design remediation, technical documentation, DoC release, CE marking, and retest evidence. - [When do modified products need a new EMC assessment? | EMC Directive FAQ](/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/modified-products.md): EU EMC Directive FAQ on product modifications, who becomes responsible, when to reassess EMC conformity, and what technical-file and DoC evidence to keep. *Recommended next step* *Placement: after evidence section* ## 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. - [Open Research Copilot](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Answer EMC Directive scope and documentation questions with cited outputs. - [Talk through implementation](/contact.md): Review your apparatus route, fixed-installation record, and retained evidence. --- [Privacy Policy](https://www.sorena.io/privacy) | [Terms of Use](https://www.sorena.io/terms-of-use) | [DMCA](https://www.sorena.io/dmca) | [About Us](https://www.sorena.io/about-us) (c) 2026 Sorena AB (559573-7338). All rights reserved. Source: https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/emc-directive/faq/custom-installations