In reality, there has been little practical benefit to manufacturers and little opportunity for participation by candidate conformity assessment bodies (CABs) during the transitional period. This is largely because of substantial changes in the regulatory environment in the two regions: the introduction of the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive in the European Union (EU), and the establishment of
the Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB) Program in the United States.

These new measures are now fully implemented, and three recent decisions of the joint committee set up under the MRA mean that the CABs can, at last, begin operation.

The first decision amends the text of the Telecommunications Equipment Sectoral Annex of the MRA to delete references to earlier EC legislation and substitute appropriate references to the R&TTE Directive. This affects not only the radio and telecom requirements but also deletes the cross-references to the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Electrical Safety Sectoral annexes of the MRA insofar as the European Commission (but not the U.S.) provisions are concerned. This reflects the fact that the R&TTE Directive integrates the conformity assessment procedures for radio, telecom, EMC, and safety in a single measure, and removes equipment within its scope from the separate directives for EMC and safety that would otherwise apply.

There is no similar need to amend the MRA text in respect to the U.S. legislation because the primary references have not changed. The TCB program has been set up within the context of existing legislation. The Telecommunications Equipment, EMC, and Electrical Safety Sectoral annexes therefore continue to be applied separately in respect to equipment destined for the U.S. market.

The second decision removes from both the Telecommunications Equipment and the EMC Sectoral annexes the terms that prevented passage from the transitional phase to the operational phase unless CABs had been established under the Electrical Safety Annex. Although it would have been desirable for mutual recognition in all three respects to be available simultaneously, a pragmatic view has been taken to proceed ahead of mutual arrangements for electrical safety being in place. Because EU safety regulations do not, in any event, require intervention of a notified body, this puts a greater burden on those seeking to enter the U.S. market from the European Union than on those seeking to enter the EU market.

The third decision agrees on the first lists of CABs established under the Telecommunications Equipment and EMC Sectoral annexes. These include: CABs in the European Union that offer TCB services for the United States; CABs in the United States that can supply R&TTE Directive notified body services for the European Union; the EU laboratories whose test results can be used for the FCC declaration of conformity authorization procedure; and the U.S. organizations that can offer competent-body services for the purposes of the EMC Directive.

Of course, not all the CABs can provide the full scope of services relevant to the category under which they are listed. For example, some EU TCBs are not authorized for FCC Part 68, and some of the U.S. notified bodies are not authorized for the Full Quality Assurance (Annex 5) procedures of the R&TTE Directive. Services depend on each CAB's accredited scope of operations, which can be checked with the relevant national designating authorities or directly with the CABs themselves.

Conclusion

The CABs appointed under the EMC Sectoral Annex are now able to operate under the full mutual recognition procedures: competent-body services from CABs in the United States, and test reports for U.S. declarations of conformity from EU CABs. At the time of writing, a few small administrative matters remain to be resolved before the Sectoral Annex for Telecommunications Equipment can become operative. These involve allocation and notification of identification numbers required for marking purposes and electronic filing. Resolution is expected soon.
—Barry Cartman

Midgley Joins Editorial Advisory Board

"I will determine which standards are applicable and ensure that the products comply." —Roger Midgley

Compliance Engineering is pleased to welcome aboard Roger J. Midgley as its newest editorial advisory board member. Midgley is a compliance engineer with Gentner Communications Corp. (Salt Lake City), a telecommunications company that develops and manufacturers audio solutions for the broadcast, teleconferencing, and assistive listening market. Midgley replaces long-term board member William Hurst who resigned recently because his new position with FCC precludes him from participation.

3GPP Expands Alliances

The agreement with ITU, the coordinator of various third-generation specification activities, such as that of 3GPP, provides for ITU's participation in future meetings of 3GPP's Organizational Partners and Project Coordination Group, which will facilitate 3GPP projects sent to ITU for adoption as global standards. The agreement with IETF, an international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers that focuses on Internet architecture and operation, consists of a draft request for comments (RFC), which sets down the basis of collaboration between the groups' activities. The RFC also provides the means for each group to use the other's work, to avoid duplication of activity.

The formal acceptance of MWIF and 3G.IP into 3GPP increases the number of the project's market representation partners to seven. Both organizations are active in pursuing the integration of Internet technologies with mobile communications

MWIF is an international nonprofit industry association focused on the adoption of a single mobile wireless and Internet architecture independent of access technology. 3G.IP is a group of mobile communications operators and vendors sharing a common third-generation network architecture strategy and seeking alignment between wireless and fixed Internet protocol architectures.

For further details on 3GPP, visit their Web site at http://www.3gpp.org.

Existing railway communication services are based on a multitude of operator-specific standards, resulting in considerable incompatibility. European Council directives require a fully inter-
operable control and command system on the international high-speed lines of European Union railways, for which purpose GSM-R is intended. The system will integrate all existing mobile radio applications for railway use and provide a platform for new services and applications for future development. It will also enable interoperability of railway traffic and provide a bearer service for the European Train Control System.

In 1993, the International Union of Railways (UIC) chose the GSM standard as the basis for its railway network standard and established the European Integrated Railway Radio Enhanced Network (EIRENE) project to coordinate standardization. Development and implementation strategies are currently being undertaken by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Special Task Force 139. For additional information on GSM-R, visit http://www.eirene-uic.org.

The three-day program will include topics ranging from EMC basics to the impact of new technologies on spectrum allocation. Topics include: how to demonstrate compliance, how to test for EMC, and the top 10 practical EMC design tips. Other sessions will focus on EMC regulations and standards, including an update on SLIM; mutual recognition agreements; harmonics; and the new EMC and Functional Safety guidance. A session on CE marking will cover the Low Voltage Directive, machinery safety, waste electrical and electronic equipment, and the ATEX Directive.

An automotive EMC session presents a study on the application of Directive 95/54/EC and the inconsistency of its application across member states of the European Union. EMC and protection of the radio spectrum, particularly the impact of xDSL technologies, will also be highlighted. For further information, or to register for the seminars, contact Chris Marshman at York EMC Services Ltd. at cam@yes.york.ac.uk, or visit the company's Web site at http://www.yorkemcservices.co.uk.