WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/IT/W/12 
8 October 2004 
 (04-4228) 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in 
Information Technology Products  
 
 
 
EMC/EMI PILOT PROJECT 
 
Draft Guidelines for EMC/EMI Conformity Assessment Procedures  
 
Note by the Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 At the Committee's formal meeting of 4 June 2004, the Secretariat was asked to compile 
submissions from participants regarding their wo rk in drafting "Guidelines" for EMC/EMI related 
conformity assessment procedures.  It was noted that the paper from Canada (G/IT/24 + Corr.1
1) 
could provide input to such guidelines, but that th e Committee participants would also provide input.  
To date, there have been two submissions from pa rticipants which have been compiled in this 
document.  It is foreseen that the Committee woul d use such a compilation for its discussion on the 
"Guidelines" at its next meeting.  
 For background on the issue, it is noted th at the Committee commenced  with the NTM Work 
Programme in 2000, whereby it was agreed to identif y NTMs which are impediments to trade in ITA 
products, examine the economic and developmental impact of such measures on trade, and give 
formal consideration by the Committee of  the outcomes of these two earlier phases.
2  One of the 
NTMs identified was with respect to EMC/EMI conf ormity assessment procedures, and as a result a 
"Pilot Project" was initiated.3  Two main initiatives have emanated from the Pilot Project thus far; 1) a 
survey on EMC/EMI4, and 2) a Workshop on EMC/EMI.5  As a result of the Committee's recent work 
based on these initiatives and a paper on "Best Practices for EMC/EMI Related Conformity Assessment Procedures for IT Products"
6, work has progressed to  these draft Guidelines. 
  
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1 English only. 
2 G/IT/19. 
3 G/IT/SPEC/Q3/2. 
4 G/IT/22 and G/IT/SPEC/Q4/1-25. 
5 G/IT/23. 
6 G/IT/24. This document has been prepa red under the Secretariat's own 
responsibility and without prejudice to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO G/IT/W/12 
Page 2  
 
I. CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES FOR EMC/EMI  
 The EMC/EMI survey conducted by the Committe e identified different types of conformity 
assessment procedures used by ITA participants. They are summarized below in descending order of 
complexity:  
(a) Certification by 1
st party (regulator or delegated entity) – the equipment has to be submitted to 
the regulator or its delegated entity for certification. 
(b) Certification by 3rd party – the equipment has to be submitted to private sector certification 
bodies recognized (or approved) by the regulator for certification. 
(c) Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) ty pe 1 – the supplier or manufacturer of the 
equipment declares the equipment meets the technical and administrative requirement. A 
testing laboratory recognized by the regulator tests the equipment and the supplier registers 
this equipment with the regulator. 
(d) Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) t ype 2 - the supplier or manufacturer of the 
equipment declares the equipment meets the technical and administrative requirement. A 
testing laboratory recognized by the regulator tests the equipment. No registration of the 
equipment with the regulator is required. 
(e) Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) ty pe 3 – the supplier or manufacturer of the 
equipment declares the equipment meets the technical and administrative requirement. The supplier registers the equipment with the regul ator. Testing of the equipment by recognized 
testing laboratory is not mandatory. 
(f) Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) ty pe 4 – the supplier or manufacturer of the 
equipment declares the equipment meets the technical and administrative requirement. Registration of the equipment with the regulator  is not required and testing of the equipment 
by recognized testing laboratory is not mandatory. 
 The above is a generic description of the pro cedures. In practice, ITA participants may use 
different titles and names to describe their procedures. 
 
II. GUIDELINES 
1. The types of conformity assessment proce dures for EMC/EMI used by ITA participants 
should be limited to the six procedur es listed in Section I (a to f). 
 
2. An ITA participant that has, at present , no mandatory conformity  assessment procedures 
should be encouraged to maintain the status quo.  3. An ITA participant that has, at present, mandatory conformity assessment procedures should 
simplify its procedures according to the list in section I.  For example, a participan t that has, at present, 
mandatory 1
st party certification procedures should consider  changing its procedures, at a minimum to 
3rd party certification.  
 4. Every ITA participant should aim to use one  of the SDoC procedures listed in section I. 
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III. TRANSPARENCY 
 A list of ITA participants should be drawn up and categorized by the type of assessment 
procedure adopted.  The list should identify whic h type of conformity assessment procedures each 
ITA participant uses, and urge ITA participants who se procedures are (a) or (b) to change them to (c) 
and (f).  The Secretariat could draw up such a list based on participant input. 
 
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