Product compliance is a confirmation process which aims to ensure that products meet with and comply to the requirements of the accepted legislations and practices.

By affixing the European Conformity (CE) marking to a product, a manufacturer declares that the product meets all the legal requirements. These requirements are regulated under several main directives, some of which are stated below.

Likewise, by affixing the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking to a product, a manufacturer declares that the product meets all the legal requirements for placing a product on the market in Great Britain, which are outlined under several main statutory instruments. So far, the UK regulation largely mirrors that of the EU.

The Panasonic Testing Centre is responsible for gathering information on updates and changes to technical regulation and sharing this information with all relevant divisions in Panasonic Corporation.

We also participate in Industry Association meetings in Germany, Europe, and the UK and engage in technical regulation lobbying activities.
 

The Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU (RED)

Establishes a regulatory framework for placing radio equipment on the market. Essential requirements for safety and health, electromagnetic compatibility, and the efficient use of the radio spectrum are regulated under the Radio Equipment Directive.

TVs, mobile phones, tablets, and all products with WLAN fall under the scope of this directive. 

The UK equivalent of 2014/53/EU is S.I. 2017/1206.
 

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive 2014/30/EU

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) refers to the capacity of an electrical item to function in its electromagnetic environment without the unintentional generation or reception of electromagnetic energy. Electromagnetic energy can result in negative side effects such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) or physical damage to operational equipment.

The main objective of the EMC directive is to regulate the compatibility of equipment operating within a common electromagnetic environment.

The EMC Directive puts limits on the electromagnetic emissions produced by equipment in order to ensure that, when used as intended, such equipment does not cause electromagnetic disturbance to radio and telecommunication, as well as other equipment. The directive also governs the immunity of such equipment to interference and seeks to ensure that this equipment is not disturbed by radio emissions, when used as intended.

All electrical products fall under this directive, including both white goods (e.g. washing machine, kitchen appliances), brown goods (e.g. TV, Blu-Ray Player) and IT devices (e.g. PC, Printer, Keyboard).

The UK equivalent of 2014/30/EU is S.I. 2016/1091.
 

Low Voltage (LVD) Directive 2014/35/EU

The LVD covers health and safety risks of electrical equipment operating with an input or output voltage of between:

• 50 and 1000 V for alternating current
• 75 and 1500 V for direct current

It applies to a wide range of electrical equipment for both consumer and professional usage, such as:

• Household appliances
• Cables
• Laser equipment
• Power supply units
• Certain components, e.g. fuses
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• The UK equivalent of 2014/35/EU is S.I. 2016/1101.