Australia ACMA EMC Requirements: Consultation to Jan 2027
Australia ACMA EMC Requirements: Draft Rules Move EMC Into the General Equipment Rules
Australia ACMA EMC requirements are about to get a new home. On 9 November 2026, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) opened a public consultation on the draft Radiocommunications Equipment (General) (Amendment and Repeal) Rules 2027 (No. 1). The draft would repeal the Radiocommunications (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Standard 2017 and the Radiocommunications Labelling (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Notice 2017 and move their requirements into the Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021, known as the General Equipment Rules. Submissions are due by 5 pm AEDT on 29 January 2027.
Background: the last stage of the ACMA equipment reform
Since the Radiocommunications Legislation Amendment (Reform and Modernisation) Act 2020, the ACMA has been pulling its equipment instruments into one place. Stage 1 brought in the human exposure (EME) standard and its labelling notice in November 2021. Stage 2 added 13 mandatory technical standards and the device labelling notice in February 2023. This consultation is Stage 3, and it covers the last big piece: EMC.
The EMC framework manages interference from incidental emissions of electrical and electronic equipment. Today it sits across three instruments: the EMC Standard sets the technical requirements, the EMC Labelling Notice sets compliance levels, labelling and record-keeping, and the General Equipment Rules handle the rest. The ACMA also took into account the feedback from its November 2023 consultation on EMC.
Key Changes in the Australia ACMA EMC Requirements
The ACMA says that, apart from the points below, the policy settings and compliance obligations stay the same.
One instrument instead of three
The EMC technical requirements would move into a new Schedule 6 of the General Equipment Rules. Schedule 7 would list devices that aren't subject to the EMC requirements, and Schedule 8 would list the recognised EMC industry standards that the ACMA currently publishes on its website. Compliance, labelling and record-keeping rules would move into Schedule 3. Generic EMC standards could still only be used where no product-specific standard applies, and where more than one standard applies, the supplier would follow the one that best fits the device's primary function.
More EN emission standards
The ACMA proposes to recognise additional harmonised EMC emission standards under the EU EMC Directive 2014/30/EU, listed in Appendix A of the consultation paper. This doesn't add requirements; it gives suppliers more ways to show compliance without retesting.
Renamed compliance levels and a tighter battery definition
Low, medium and high-risk devices would become EMC compliance levels 1, 2 and 3, matching the naming already used for EME and the general standards. Level 3 would point to Group 2 ISM equipment as defined in CISPR 11:2024 instead of AS/NZS CISPR 11:2011. A "battery-powered device" would only be one that can't be connected to an external power supply and runs only on button cells or AA, AAA, AAAA, C, D, 123A, 6 V or 9 V batteries. The ACMA says battery operation alone is no longer a reliable sign of low interference risk.
Narrower exclusions
Prototypes would only be excluded when supplied or used for demonstration or development. The education and research exclusion would cover bespoke devices, not routine commercial lab equipment. Devices built into a fixed installation would have to meet the EMC requirements themselves. The exclusion for PCs assembled in Australia would apply only to externally powered desktop, tower and mini computers, not laptops. Components, spare parts and subassemblies would be out of scope only if they can't operate on their own and are meant for a final product.
Labelling and other changes
Labelling would line up with the 2025 telecommunications labelling notice: compliance steps could be completed before supply rather than before the label goes on, instructions for electronic labels could be given on a website, and devices meant only for supply overseas wouldn't need labels. Outside EMC, the draft recognises ETSI EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1 for short range devices, updates the EME Standard, and adds AS/NZS 4280 provisions for 406 MHz beacons.
What This Means for Manufacturers
Products already compliant with the 2017 EMC Standard are covered by savings provisions in the draft, and existing registrations on the national database carry over.
Battery-powered products that charge over USB or use other battery types won't fit the new "battery-powered device" definition, so their classification should be reviewed.
Suppliers relying on the prototype, exhibition, fixed-installation or PC exclusions should check their products still qualify.
Test reports to EN emission standards not on today's ACMA list may become usable once Schedule 8 is final.
Technical files and Declarations of Conformity will need to cite the General Equipment Rules once the new instrument is registered.
Certification Impact Summary
Area | Before | After | Impact level |
Legal basis | EMC Standard 2017 and EMC Labelling Notice 2017 | Schedules 3, 6, 7 and 8 of the General Equipment Rules | Medium |
Recognised standards | ACMA list published on its website | Schedule 8 list plus additional EN harmonised emission standards | Medium |
Risk categories | Low, medium and high risk | EMC compliance levels 1, 2 and 3; level 3 per CISPR 11:2024 | Low |
Battery-powered devices | Any battery-powered device not declared medium risk | Only devices with no external power connection using listed battery types | Medium |
Exclusions | Broadly worded (prototypes, research, exhibition, fixed installations, PCs) | Narrower, defined conditions; laptops not covered by the PC exclusion | Medium |
Labelling | Requirements met before the label is applied | Met before supply; electronic-label instructions online; export-only devices exempt | Low |
Existing products | Comply with 2017 instruments | Savings provisions keep compliant devices and labels valid | Low |
Timeline and Required Actions
Key Dates
Date | Milestone |
November 2023 | Earlier ACMA consultation on the EMC framework |
9 November 2026 | Consultation on the draft Amendment and Repeal Rules 2027 (No. 1) opens |
29 January 2027 | Submissions close (5 pm AEDT) |
To be confirmed | Rules commence the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation |
Required Actions for Manufacturers
Read the consultation paper and the draft mock compilation of the General Equipment Rules.
Check whether your battery-powered products still meet the new definition.
Review any products that rely on the prototype, exhibition, fixed-installation or PC exclusions.
Compare your EMC test standards with Appendix A and draft Schedule 8.
Plan updates to Declarations of Conformity and technical files.
Send comments to the ACMA by 29 January 2027 if the changes affect your products.
Conclusion
The draft doesn't rewrite Australia's EMC policy, but it changes where the rules live and tightens several definitions that suppliers rely on day to day. With comments open until 29 January 2027, now is a good time to check classifications and exclusions across your Australian portfolio. Contact our team for help with RCM, EMC and radio compliance in Australia.
