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Guide to the Radio Equipment Directive - Directive 2014/53/EU

Affects: Certification Process Labelling Modular Approval Spectrum Management Testing 2G 3G 5G LTE RFID WLAN Wireless Power Transfer

Last Updated

08-OCT-26

Radio Equipment Directive (RED) 2014/53/EU – Overview

This guide explains how Directive 2014/53/EU, commonly known as the Radio Equipment Directive (RED), applies to radio equipment placed on the European market. It provides practical guidance for manufacturers, importers, distributors and other parties involved in ensuring radio equipment meets EU requirements. The guide should be read alongside the official RED legislation and the Blue Guide 2022.
1. Scope of the Directive
The RED applies to electrical and electronic equipment that intentionally transmits or receives radio waves for communication or radiodetermination purposes. It covers radio frequencies below 3,000 GHz.
The directive applies across the EU, the EEA-EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Türkiye.
Certain types of equipment are excluded from the RED, including:
  • Radio equipment used exclusively for public security, defence or state security.
  • Amateur radio equipment, unless it is made available on the market.
  • Marine equipment covered by Directive 2014/90/EU.
  • Certain aviation equipment covered by separate regulations.
  • Custom-built evaluation kits used by professionals for research and development.
The guide also explains how the RED applies to specific products and technologies, including antennas, amplifiers, DVB receivers, jammers, RFID tags, software-defined radios (SDR) and radio equipment installed in vehicles or fixed installations.
2. Main Technical and Compliance Requirements
Economic operator responsibilities
Manufacturers are primarily responsible for ensuring their radio equipment complies with the RED before placing it on the market. This includes carrying out the necessary conformity assessments, preparing technical documentation and issuing an EU Declaration of Conformity (EU DoC).
Authorised representatives, importers and distributors also have responsibilities under the directive, depending on their role in the supply chain.
Essential requirements – Article 3
Article 3 sets out the main requirements that radio equipment must meet:
  • Health and safety (Article 3.1(a)): Equipment must protect the health and safety of people and domestic animals, as well as property. The safety objectives of the Low Voltage Directive apply without voltage limits.
  • Electromagnetic compatibility (Article 3.1(b)): Equipment must provide an appropriate level of electromagnetic compatibility, consistent with the protection requirements of Directive 2014/30/EU.
  • Radio spectrum (Article 3.2): Equipment must use the radio spectrum effectively and support its efficient use to avoid harmful interference.
  • Additional requirements (Article 3.3): Certain categories of radio equipment must meet additional requirements, including cybersecurity provisions where applicable.
  • Common charging requirements: Certain categories of radio equipment must have a USB Type-C charging port and support USB Power Delivery where required.
Conformity assessment procedures
Manufacturers must demonstrate that their equipment meets the applicable RED requirements using one of the conformity assessment procedures described in Annex II, III or IV.
For Articles 3.2 and 3.3, a Notified Body must be involved where applicable harmonised standards are not available, have not been applied or have only been partly applied.
Technical documentation
Manufacturers must prepare technical documentation demonstrating how the equipment meets the applicable requirements. This normally includes product descriptions, design information, test reports, risk assessments and details of the standards used.
The documentation must be retained for 10 years after the equipment has been placed on the market and made available to market surveillance authorities when requested.
CE marking
Radio equipment that complies with the RED must carry the CE marking. It should be affixed to the equipment or its data plate and must also appear on the packaging.
Where required by the conformity assessment procedure, the Notified Body identification number must accompany the CE marking.
User information and instructions
Manufacturers must provide appropriate instructions and safety information in a language that users can easily understand, as required by the relevant country.
The information must also include the frequency bands in which the equipment operates and the maximum radio-frequency power transmitted in those bands.
Cybersecurity requirements
The RED also includes cybersecurity requirements under Article 3.3(d), (e) and (f), covering areas such as network protection, personal data and privacy, and protection against fraud.
These requirements apply to certain categories of radio equipment, including internet-connected devices and certain wearable products, as specified in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 and its amendments.
Manufacturers must also consider the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and how its requirements interact with the RED, particularly during the relevant implementation and transition periods.
3. Summary
The RED sets out the requirements that radio equipment must meet before it can be placed on the European market. Manufacturers need to identify which requirements apply to their products, carry out the appropriate testing and conformity assessment, and maintain the supporting technical documentation.
The guide helps explain these obligations and provides clarification on how they apply to different types of radio equipment and technologies.

Attached Documents & Source Files

Guide to the Radio Equipment Directive - Directive 2014/53/EU

Author / Agency: European Commission

Published: N/A
Language: English

Key Regulatory Timeline & Dates

Jun 13, 2016
Date of Entry into Force Applicability of the Radio Equipment Directive (2014/53/EU)
Aug 01, 2025
Compliance Deadline Applicability of essential requirements for cybersecurity (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2444)

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