. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/IT/25 
17 February 2005 
 (05-0659) 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in 
Information Technology Products  
 
 
 
GUIDELINES FOR EMC/EMI CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES 
 
 
 These "Guidelines" for EMC/EMI Conformity Assessment Procedures, as prepared by the 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Tr ade in Information Technology Products, are a 
result of its work undertaken in the NTM Work Pr ogramme.  Such Guidelines have no legal status nor 
do they have any implications for particip ants' rights and obligations under the WTO. 
 
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 in respect of ITA products. They are summarized 
below in descending order of complexity:  (a) Certification by a regulator or delegated entity  – the equipment has to be submitted to the 
regulator or its delegated entity for certification. 
(b) Certification by 3
rd party – the equipment has to be submitted to certification bodies 
recognized (or approved) by the regulator for certification. 
(c) Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) type 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's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) type 2 - the supplier or manufacturer of the 
equipment declares the equipment meets the technical and administrative requirements on the basis of test reports by a testing laboratory reco gnized by the regulator. No registration of the 
equipment with the regulator is required. 
(e) Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) type 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.  If tes ting is undertaken, the choice of the testing 
laboratory rests with supplier or manufacturer. 
(f) Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) type 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.  If testing is undertaken, the choice of the 
testing laboratory rests with supplier or manufacturer. 
 The above is a generic description of the pro cedures. In practice, ITA participants may use 
different or alternative titles and names to describe their procedures. G/IT/25 
Page 2  
 
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.   If conformity assessment procedures are to be 
adopted, the types of procedures used should be in accordance with Guideline 1 above.  
 
3.  ITA participants using type (a) or (b) pro cedures listed in Section I should consider changing 
them to type (c), (d), (e), or (f).
 1 
 
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.  The Secretariat could draw up such a list based on participant input. 
 
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1 This does not preclude participants from making decisions on whether or in what form to apply EMC/EMI 
conformity assessment procedures, listed under Sectio n I, according to their practical circumstances.