What is VCCI?

Mission & Objective

Objective in Establishing the Council

In Japan, the Telecommunications Technology Council of Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (now Information and Communications Council under Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) drafted Japanese technical standards on limits and methods of measurement of electromagnetic interference caused by information technology equipment based on the CISPR recommendations. A set of these standards was submitted for official recognition to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications on December 2, 1985. In response, the Ministry issued to related industries a request for cooperation in controlling radio disturbance based on those standards.

On December 19, 1985 the four industry associations - the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JElDA)*, the Japan Business Machine Makers Association (JBMA)**, the Electronic Industries Association of Japan (EIAJ)*, and the Communications Industry Association of Japan (CIAJ) *** jointly established without delay the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment (VCCI) to cope with radio disturbance problems caused by personal computers, facsimile equipment and the like. The establishment of VCCI was a result of acute discussions that concluded that the Ministry’s request be best met with industry’s voluntary measure.

Note:
* JEIDA and EIAJ were merged into JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association)
** JBMA was renamed JBMIA (Japan Business Machine and Information System Industries Associations)
*** CIAJ remains the same

Since then VCCI has continued its activities as a voluntary organization (a constructive corporation) up to now. Meanwhile new Japanese laws prescribing matters concerning corporate bodies were promulgated in June 2006 (“No. 48-1Act on General Incorporated Associations and General Incorporated Foundations” and other associated laws). VCCI decided to become a corporate body from April 2009 taking advantage of the promulgation of these laws.

The new law system allows the choice of either incorporated association or incorporated foundation in establishing a corporate body. Our choice was the foundation (not-for-profit type) because it will allow us to continue our current activities with little or no change. We are sure that we will be able to better serve general consumers and our members because of enhanced social credibility the incorporation will bring about on us.

We have renewed our determination to broaden the membership base by obtaining enrollment of greater number of companies and organizations from within Japan and overseas in the voluntary control scheme of VCCI Council so the interest of Japanese consumers will better be protected in terms of anxiety-free use of equipment.

Purpose

The purpose of this corporate body is to promote, in cooperation with related industries, the voluntary control of radio disturbances emitted from multimedia equipment (MME) on the one hand, and improvement of robustness of MME against radio disturbances on the other hand, so that the interests of Japanese consumers are protected with respect to anxiety-free use of MME.

Description

  1. Formulate basic policies on voluntary control of electromagnetic disturbances emitted by multimedia equipment
  2. Coordinate the interest of member organizations and liaise with the government and related agencies
  3. Receive and file conformity verification report with the voluntary control standards and issue reception acknowledgement in return
  4. Carry out market surveillance (with sampling test commissioned to third party testing laboratories)
  5. Regularly review the suitability of the Technical Requirements for necessary revisions by research and experiments and share the results with members
  6. Hold measurement skills courses to prepare members' engineers for adequate conformity assessment
  7. Study trends in overseas EMC regulations and seek opportunities for mutual recognition agreement
  8. Examine credentials of measurement laboratories and facilities based on the measurement facilities registration system
  9. Conduct PR activities for general consumers and reach out to potential companies and associations for encouraging them to join VCCI
  10. Administer other programs for effective operations of voluntary control
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