The 22nd meeting of the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Compliance Association (R&TTE CA) was held last 5 May in Lyon, France, chaired by Jan Coenraads. It was attended by around 40 participants, including observers and representatives of administrations and notified bodies.
Highlights of the meeting include the following matters:
- ETSI standard 300 433 concerning CBs is in voting phase;
- A guide about oversight of the equipment market is in production phase which will be available in all the languages. The aim is to achieve harmonisation of equipment oversight in all member states;
- The question of jammers sold mainly on the internet remains – it is hard for the oversight bodies to take the proper steps for such cases;
- The question of PLTs may be resolved by standard prEN 50561-1:2011, in voting phase – the vote is expected to take place mid-year;
- A decision was made to create a working group which should present its inputs at the next meeting so that a Technical Guidance Note (TGN) can be produced for basic evaluation of a device’s SAR and so that the notified bodies can follow a same approach as well as the kind of warning phrases in usage manuals;
- Manufacturers often question the compliance evaluation in consumer equipment (DVD recorders, Home Theatre System, etc.) traditionally covered by the LVD and EMC Directives, after a wireless interface is included (for example a WLAN card for internet access). Does the insertion of WLAN cards mean these devices are henceforth evaluated in the scope of the R&TTE Directive? Decision made to keep application of the EMC and LVD Directives;
- Some laboratories present the result of a trial after comparing it with the limit, only indicating that it “passes” or “does not pass”. From the standpoint of the market oversight authority, and for a laboratory accredited according to standard EN 17025, a report on trials is not acceptable without indicating the measurements as proof of compliance. It was thus decided that such reports must record the measurements, besides indicating that a device passes or does not pass.
The next meeting will be held in Italy on 1-2 December 2011.
