HARMONISED STANDARD
Listing in the Official Journal of the European Communities
R&TTE Directive | 89/336/EEC (EMC Directive) | The New Approach
Forthcoming Directives | Mutual Recognition Agreements | Reference Texts | Links
What does a Harmonised Standard give?
To a manufacturer, access to the market of all the Member States of the European Union. To a National Administration, a technical base line against which to assess the performance of equipment to ensurethat legal requirements are met.
Harmonised standards enable a manufacturer demonstrate that his product conforms to European legislation. Equipment which is built in accordance to a Harmonised Standard may be placed on the market in all member states of the European Union and the European Free Trade Area.
Harmonised Standards are developed in the context of a "New Approach" Directive. New Harmonised Standards always use the deliverable type EN, European Standard (Telecommunications series). Previous ETSI Harmonised Standards may have been of the ETS (European Telecommunications Standard) or TBR (Technical Basis for Regulation).
New Approach Directives define "essential requirements" in qualitative terms (for example, "radio equipment shall be so constructed ... to avoid harmful interference"). Harmonised Standards express these in quantitative terms.
Examples of "New Approach" Directives are the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive (1999/5/EC) and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (89/336/EEC).
Harmonised Standards follow the same approval procedures for other ENs, and in addition:
- a public approval process for a Harmonised Standard may not start until the European Commission has issued a standardisation mandate. These mandates are drafted by European Commission, presented to the Member States ('98/34 committee') and transmitted to the three recognised standards bodies (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI).
- after adoption, the European Commission cites the reference number of the Harmonised Standard in the Official Journal of the European Union. From the date of citation, Member States are obliged to presume that equipment built according to the standard meets the requirements of the relevant legislation.
Harmonised Standards are listed in the Official Journal of the European Communities in order that they may offer a presumption of conformity with a particular Directive. The precise mechanism may vary from one Directive to another.
Up to date listings of Harmonised Standards can be found on the web site of
the European
Commission 
, and on the New
Approach
web site of the European Standards Bodies..
Information on ETSI work on particular Directives:
1999/5/EC (Radio and Telecommunication Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive)
ETSI Standards are also cited in the Marine Equipent Directive 96/98/EC which is currently under review, see Maritime Radio.
Forthcoming Directives
New Regulatory Framework
for
electronic communications infrastructure and associated services
seeks to
relate spectrum demands to EU policy initiatives, setting up a Radio Spectrum Policy Group. This group should become active during the second half of 2002. It is expected to be a committee of Member States, chaired by the European Commission, with ETSI and CEPT as permanent observers.
introduce legal certainty for technical harmonisation measures carried out by CEPT in areas of EU Community policy. The Commission, in consultation with a Radio Spectrum Committee, will place mandates on the CEPT. Resulting spectrum allocations will be codified in Commission Decisions, applicable throughout the European Community.
increase transparency and information on the use of spectrum by requiring Member States to publish spectrum tables and other relevant information in a common format accessible to all interested parties.
support the CEPT on the promotion of European interests in international negotiations.
Council of 18 December 2000 on unbundled access to the local loop
Proposed revision to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC
(arising from the SLIM initiative)
Reference
texts
Links
European
Commission DG Enterprise
European
Commission DG Information Society: Communications Policy
Community
legislation in force in the Telecommunications sector
Last updated: 2014-02-03 13:15:38