Technical Committee (TC) EMC and Radio Spectrum Matters (ERM) Activity Report 2022

Chair: Holger Butscheidt, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany

Responsible for a range of radio product and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards and the overall co-ordination of radio spectrum matters.

 

ETSI’s Harmonised European Standards are developed by our members in our technical committees, with much of this work being conducted in our committee for Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (TC ERM).

Now in force across Europe, the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU (RED) has required the revision or replacement of all ETSI’s existing related Harmonised Standards and the development of new ones. The EC’s improved approval procedure for our Harmonised Standards has thus necessitated a change in ETSI’s working methods to ensure compliance with legislative requirements. In 2022 TC ERM continued to co-operate with the EC to optimize the efficiency of this process.

During the year further progress was accordingly made in creating new Harmonised Standards and making updates to existing publications. See the full list of TC ERM deliverables published since January 2022 here.

During the year publications by our various working groups included:

ERM TG17 - Broadcast and ancillary communications equipment.

Four parts of our multi-part Harmonised Standard for access to radio spectrum for broadcast sound receivers achieved citation in the OJEU with restrictions: EN 303 345-2 (AM), EN 303 345-3 (FM), EN 303 345-4 (DAB), EN 303 345-5 (DRM).

Our revised Harmonised European Standard on access to radio spectrum for Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) transmitting equipment EN 302 245 V2.2.1 was delivered to the EC in anticipation of citation. Other previously-published (2021) deliverables achieving citation during the year included our standard EN 303 348 V1.2.1 covering audio frequency induction loop drivers in the frequency range 10 Hz - 9 kHz; and EN 302 296 V2.2.1 covering Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) transmitters.

We also published an update to our Harmonised Standard for access to radio spectrum EN 302 077 V2.3.1 covering transmitting equipment Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB): this awaits anticipated publication in the OJ, pending a clarification sent to the EC.

In the area of wireless audio for professional applications, an update to the first part of our Harmonised Standard for access to radio spectrum - EN 300 422-1 V2.2.1 for PMSE equipment up to 3 GHz – was published and achieved citation in the OJ.

ERM TG28 - Generic Short Range Devices (SRD). We published an update to our Harmonised Standard for access to radio spectrum inductive loop systems for robotic mowers operating in the frequency range 100 Hz - 148,5 kHz EN 303 447 V1.3.1, and submitted it to the EC for anticipated citation in the OJ.

Originally published in 2021, the first part of our updated Harmonised Standard EN 300 718-1 V2.2.1 on transmitter/receiver systems for avalanche beacons operating at 457 kHz achieved citation in the OJ with restrictions.

Also in the domain of Short Range Devices, TC ERM published a System Reference document TR 103 774, describing characteristics for equipment used for power transfer and communication with associated peripheral devices using the 917,5 MHz RFID interrogator channel.

ERM TG37 - Intelligent transport systems. In relation to Transport and Traffic Telematics (TTT), we published a revised sub-part of our Harmonised European Standard EN 300 674-2-1 V3.1.1 on access to radio spectrum for Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) transmission equipment operating in the 5 795 MHz - 5 815 MHz frequency band. This subsequently achieved citation in the OJ.

We also published a Technical Report TR 103 688, studying receiver requirements for ITS as already detailed in EN 302 571.

ERM TG AERO – Aeronautics. The first part of our Harmonised European Standard on access to radio spectrum for Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) EN 303 363-1 achieved citation in the OJ, alongside the second part of our standard (originally published in 2021) covering Air Traffic Control (ATC) PSR sensors in the frequency band 2 700 MHz to 3 100 MHz (S band) EN 303 364-2, with restrictions, and a sub-part of our standard EN 303 213-5-2 on Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and

Control System (A-SMGCS) covering reference and vehicle transmitters for MLAT.

Three revised parts of our Harmonised European Standard on access to radio spectrum for meteorological radars (originally published in 2021) were also cited in the OJ:

TC ERM TGMARINE – Maritime and Amateur Radio. A revision of our Harmonised European Standard EN 303 132 V2.1.1 on access to radio spectrum

for maritime VHF survivor locating devices using DSC Class M was published and delivered to the EC in anticipation of publication in the OJEU. A revision of our Harmonised European Standard EN 301 025 V2.3.1 on access to spectrum for VHF radiotelephone equipment using DSC Class D (published 2021) meanwhile achieved citation.

We also published two further parts – EN 300 338-7 and EN 300 338-8 – of our European Standard on Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment in the maritime MF, MF/HF and VHF mobile service, as well as a new Technical Report TR 103 784 on voice and data services for digital VHF maritime radio using FDMA in 6,25 kHz bandwidth. 

ERM TGDMR - Digital Mobile Radio. Our previously-published (2021) Harmonised European Standard on access to radio spectrum for TETRA radio equipment EN 303 758 achieved listing in the OJEU.

ERM TGUWB – Ultra Wide Band. In the domain of Short Range Devices (SRD) using Ultra Wide Band technology (UWB), we published a sub-part of our Harmonised European Standard EN 302 065-4-4 V1.1.1 on access to radio spectrum, covering exterior material sensing applications for ground based vehicles. 

We also published a new Technical Specification TS 103 788 on measurement techniques and specification for RX conformance tests (based on the signal interferer handling concept) with a target simulator.

ERM WGEMC – Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC). We continued to revise various parts of our multi-part Harmonised European Standard on EMC for various types of radio equipment and services:

In addition our Harmonised Standard on EMC requirements for telecommunication network equipment EN 300 386 V2.2.1 was submitted to the EC in anticipation of publication in the OJ.

Throughout the year TC ERM maintained its co-operation with the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), in particular in the area of smart/connected devices where the EMC requirements for the base machine need to be reconciled with corresponding requirements for the radio elements providing the connectivity. We have continued to work actively with CENELEC to align processes in order to support and homogeneous single market, in support of competition and innovation.

An additional focus during 2022 has been given to approaching Cybersecurity regulation – namely the Delegated Act and Standardisation Request for Article 3.3 d/e/f of the RED resulting in potential new Harmonised Standards – where intensive exchange with TC CYBER and TC RRS together with CEN and CENELEC was ongoing until the Standardisation Request has been set into force, just addressing CEN and CENELEC. 

TC ERM Work Items in development

In 2023, the continued focus of TC ERM is production and revision of various Harmonised Standards, technical specifications, technical reports and system reference documents, including those in relation to: 

  • Multiple Gigabit Wireless Systems (MGWS)
  • Networked Short Range Devices (SRD)
  • SRDs using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology
  • Radio equipment operating below 9 kHz
  • Robotic mowers
  • Wireless power transmission
  • Wideband transmission systems
  • UWB systems including ground- and wall-probing radio determination; Level Probing Radar (LPR); tracking; keyless entry systems; generic UWB communications
  • Radiodetermination equipment
  • Wireless Industrial Applications (WIA)
  • Ultra Low Power wireless medical capsule cameras
  • Metal sensors
  • Security scanners
  • C-ITS communications
  • Vehicular radar; automotive and surveillance radar equipment
  • Ground Based Synthetic Aperture Radar (GBSAR)
  • Primary Surveillance Radar
  • Wide Area Multilateration (WAM)
  • Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS)
  • Data Link Services (DLS)
  • Airport Surface Data Link (AeroMACS)
  • VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL)
  • Euroloop railway systems
  • Marine radar, positioning systems and survival location devices
  • Maritime Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
  • Inland waterways navigation radar
  • Digital Terrestrial TV transmitters and receivers
  • DAB and DRM transmitters
  • AM/FM broadcast sound receivers
  • Active antennas for broadcast reception
  • Wireless microphones/audio PMSE systems
  • Inductive loop systems for the hearing impaired
  • Avalanche beacon equipment for buried people
  • Meteorological radar
  • Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) systems
  • Land Mobile Service broadband radio for Public Protection and Disaster Relief
  • EMC
  • Measurement and testing

 

See the full list of current TC ERM Work Items in development here.