EN 55032 — EMC emissions classes A and B for ITE

EN 55032 is the European Norm version of CISPR 32, the international emissions standard for multimedia equipment (MME). It is the modern successor to EN 55022 (information technology equipment) and EN 55013 (sound and television broadcast receivers), merging both scopes into a single document so that a desktop PC, a smart TV, a router, and a streaming box are all assessed against the same emissions limits. The standard's current EU citation appears in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1326 of 5 August 2019 and its subsequent amendments, drafted in support of Article 13 of the EMC Directive 2014/30/EU.

When manufacturers correctly apply EN 55032 within its scope, the resulting equipment is presumed to conform to the essential emission requirements set out in Annex I of the EMC Directive — but only for emissions. Immunity is covered by the companion standard EN 55035, and both are normally needed to close out an EMC declaration for multimedia products.

What EN 55032 covers

EN 55032:2015 (with amendment A11:2020) replaces and combines two earlier standards:

• EN 55022 — Information technology equipment (ITE)
• EN 55013 — Sound and television broadcast receivers and associated equipment

The merger reflects the reality that modern devices blur those categories: a smart TV is a broadcast receiver, an ITE box, and a wireless device all at once. EN 55032 applies to "multimedia equipment" (MME), defined to cover devices with an AC or DC mains supply not exceeding 600 V intended for the generation, processing, storage, retrieval, distribution, display, or reception of audio, video, or data signals. Industrial machinery, medical devices, automotive equipment, and radio transmitters are explicitly out of scope — they have their own product-family standards (EN 61000-6-4, EN 60601-1-2, EN 50121-x, EN 301 489-x respectively).

Class A versus Class B — environment is the test

The standard divides equipment into two classes based on the intended electromagnetic environment, not on the product type itself.

The class A user-information notice required by EN 55032 must inform purchasers in substance that the equipment may cause radio interference in a domestic environment and that the user may have to take adequate measures. Selling a class A product into a residential channel without this notice is a typical market-surveillance finding.

Frequency ranges and emission types

EN 55032 measures two emission categories:

Conducted emissions: 150 kHz – 30 MHz

Conducted emissions are RF currents and voltages that leave the equipment through the power cord (AC mains port) and through telecom/network ports such as Ethernet, xDSL, or coax. Measurements are made with a Line Impedance Stabilisation Network (LISN) or Impedance Stabilisation Network (ISN) calibrated per CISPR 16-1-2. Both quasi-peak and average detectors are required across the band; the limit envelope is stepped (a higher allowance at the bottom of the band, tighter from approximately 500 kHz upward).

Radiated emissions: 30 MHz – 6 GHz (scope-dependent)

Radiated emissions are RF fields emitted by the equipment enclosure and any external cabling. The upper test frequency depends on the highest internal frequency of the equipment under test, per the long-standing CISPR 32 rule:

Below 1 GHz, measurements use a quasi-peak detector at 3 m or 10 m on an open-area test site (OATS) or in a semi-anechoic chamber. Above 1 GHz, measurements switch to peak and average detectors with the antenna positioned at heights specified in the standard.

Relationship to the EMC Directive 2014/30/EU

Article 13 of Directive 2014/30/EU creates the presumption of conformity: equipment in conformity with harmonised standards or parts thereof, the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, is presumed to be in conformity with the essential requirements set out in Annex I that are covered by those standards.

For EN 55032 the cite-and-claim chain is:

1. The standard is listed in the Annex to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1326 (as amended by subsequent implementing decisions tracking new amendments, e.g. A11:2020).
2. Applying EN 55032 within its scope establishes presumption of conformity with the emission essential requirements in Annex I.
3. Pairing it with EN 55035:2017+A11:2020 (immunity) closes the EMC Directive essential-requirements envelope for multimedia equipment.
4. The standards are quoted in Section 4 of your Declaration of Conformity.

Equipment which is in conformity with harmonised standards or parts thereof the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union shall be presumed to be in conformity with the essential requirements set out in Annex I that are covered by those standards or parts thereof. — Article 13, Directive 2014/30/EU

Common mistakes

• Declaring Class B without testing for it. Because Class B limits are stricter, a product that scrapes through Class A will routinely fail Class B by 5–15 dB. Do not change the class on the DoC after the fact without re-testing — declaring a class you have not measured against is a documentary non-conformity that can be sanctioned by market surveillance.
• Forgetting the Class A user notice. EN 55032 requires the warning verbatim in the user documentation. Manufacturers often translate it into local languages but leave the English original out, or vice-versa. Both belong in the manual.
• Citing EN 55022 on the DoC. EN 55022 was withdrawn from the OJEU when EN 55032 took its place. A DoC citing the withdrawn standard does not give presumption of conformity from that date forward.
• Treating EN 55032 as the whole EMC story. Emissions only. Without an immunity standard (EN 55035 for multimedia) you have not addressed all of Annex I, and the DoC is incomplete.
• Ignoring telecom-port limits. The 150 kHz–30 MHz conducted limits on telecom ports (Ethernet, xDSL) are commonly missed by teams who only measure the AC mains port. Both apply.
• Using lab-supplied I/O cables. EN 55032 requires the cables typically supplied or specified to the user. Using shielded lab cables to pass a test that the user's commodity cables would fail is non-conformant.
• Assuming class B testing covers "borderline" environments like a home office. The class is set by the intended environment declared in the user instructions, not by where the device might end up.

How Cenitia helps

Cenitia's compliance vault tracks every harmonised standard you cite on a Declaration of Conformity. When the European Commission amends the OJEU listing — for example by withdrawing an older edition of EN 55032 or publishing a new dated amendment — the regulation watcher flags every product that cites the affected reference, opens a "DoC update required" task, and pre-fills the new citation line. You will not be the importer who finds out at customs that the standard you cited was withdrawn six months ago.

The platform also runs a citation-completeness check across all your DoCs: if a multimedia product cites only EN 55032 (emissions) without a paired EN 55035 (immunity), Cenitia raises a missing-standard warning before you sign and export the document.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between EN 55032 Class A and Class B?

Class A covers equipment for commercial, light-industrial, and industrial environments. Class B covers equipment intended for residential environments and has stricter emission limits because residential users sit close to sensitive radio receivers. The classification is set by the manufacturer based on intended use, declared in the user instructions, and tested accordingly per EN 55032:2015/A11:2020.

Does EN 55032 replace EN 55022?

Yes. EN 55032 consolidates the former CISPR 22 (information technology equipment) and CISPR 13 (broadcast receivers) into a single multimedia-equipment emissions standard. EN 55022 was withdrawn from the Official Journal under the EMC Directive when EN 55032 took its place — see Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1326 for the current OJEU listing.

Which frequency range does EN 55032 cover?

Conducted emissions are measured from 150 kHz to 30 MHz on AC mains and telecom ports. Radiated emissions are measured from 30 MHz upward, with the upper limit (1 GHz, 2 GHz, 5 GHz or 6 GHz) depending on the highest internal frequency of the equipment under test. The 9 kHz–150 kHz band is referenced in the standard's scope but limits in that range are informative.

Does compliance with EN 55032 alone give CE-marking presumption of conformity for EMC?

No — EN 55032 covers emissions only. For full presumption of conformity under Directive 2014/30/EU you also need an immunity standard (typically EN 55035 for multimedia equipment) covering the essential requirements in Annex I. Both must be listed in the OJEU at the time of declaration.

Can I sell a Class A product to consumers?

Not without warning. EN 55032 requires a Class A user-information notice stating the equipment may cause radio interference in a residential environment and that the user may need to take adequate mitigation. Member-state market surveillance authorities (e.g. the German BNetzA, French ANFR) can withdraw a Class A product marketed for residential use without that warning.

Is testing in an accredited lab required?

Not legally — the EMC Directive permits self-declaration when harmonised standards are applied. In practice, EN 55032 measurements require a semi-anechoic chamber or open-area test site calibrated per CISPR 16-1-4, which most manufacturers outsource. ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation of the test lab is not mandatory but is the de-facto expectation of notified bodies and large customers.

Related from the Library

• CE marking 101 — the CE process EN 55032 plugs into
• Declaration of Conformity 101 — where you cite EN 55032
• Technical file 101 — what test reports to keep
• When you need a notified body — EMC is normally self-declared, but adjacent regimes are not
• Updating a DoC after amendment — what to do when EN 55032 is amended in the OJEU
• RED + CRA overlap for connected radio — when your multimedia device also has Wi-Fi or Bluetooth

Further reading

• Directive 2014/30/EU — EMC Directive (consolidated)
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1326 — harmonised standards under EMC Directive
• Consolidated text of Decision 2019/1326 with amendments — EUR-Lex
• European Commission — Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) harmonised standards page
• CISPR 32 at the IEC webstore — international parent standard
• CISPR 16-1-2 — methods and instrumentation for conducted emissions
• CENELEC project page for EN 55032

Last reviewed: 5 July 2026. Cited regulations watched continuously by Cenitia — when one amends, this article is flagged for update.