Radio Equipment Directive (RED)

# Radio Equipment Directive (RED) The Radio Equipment Directive (2014/53/EU) is the EU legislation governing radio equipment placed on the market, from smartphones and Wi-Fi routers to Bluetooth accessories, drones and connected sensors. It sets essential requirements for health and safety, electromagnetic compatibility and efficient use of the radio spectrum, and it is one of the most frequently applied CE marking directives for consumer electronics. ## Key facts - Directive 2014/53/EU has applied since 13 June 2016, replacing the earlier R&TTE Directive. - It covers electrical or electronic products that intentionally emit or receive radio waves for communication or radiodetermination. - Essential requirements address health and safety, electromagnetic compatibility and effective, efficient use of the radio spectrum. - Delegated acts have added cybersecurity, privacy and fraud-prevention requirements, and a common charger mandate. - From 28 December 2024, in-scope devices such as mobile phones must support USB-C charging under the common charger rules. - Harmonised standards such as EN 300 328 for wideband transmission systems give presumption of conformity. - Radio equipment generally requires notified body involvement only where harmonised standards are not fully applied. ## Scope: what counts as radio equipment The directive defines radio equipment as electrical or electronic products that intentionally emit or receive radio waves for the purpose of radio communication or radiodetermination, or products that must be completed with an accessory such as an antenna to do so. This captures mobile phones, tablets, laptops with wireless, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, smart home products, wireless audio, drones, radio-controlled toys, RFID equipment and countless industrial sensors. Pure receivers and some specialist categories have tailored treatment, and certain equipment is excluded, such as radio equipment used for public security and defence, and amateur radio kits. Products that only unintentionally generate radio frequency energy, such as most wired electronics, fall under the EMC Directive and the Low Voltage Directive instead. Where a product combines radio and non-radio functions, the RED applies to the radio aspects alongside the other applicable legislation. Software-defined and reconfigurable radio adds a modern wrinkle: the directive addresses combinations of radio equipment and software, requiring that compliance is maintained for the software and hardware combinations the manufacturer intends. This matters for products whose radio behaviour can change through updates. ## The essential requirements Article 3 sets out the essential requirements in layers. All radio equipment must meet the health and safety objectives of the Low Voltage Directive, without the voltage limits, covering electrical safety and, importantly, exposure to electromagnetic fields. It must also meet the electromagnetic compatibility requirements of the EMC Directive, ensuring it neither causes intolerable interference nor is unduly susceptible to it. The radio-specific requirement is the effective and efficient use of the radio spectrum to avoid harmful interference: transmitters must use spectrum responsibly, staying within their allocated bands and respecting power and duty-cycle limits. This is where standards such as EN 300 328 for 2.4 GHz wideband equipment and the EN 301 893 series for 5 GHz devices define the detailed test methods and limits. Further essential requirements can be activated by delegated acts for specific equipment classes. The Commission has used this power for cybersecurity: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 requires radio equipment to protect network integrity, safeguard personal data and privacy, and protect against fraud, applying from 1 August 2025. This makes the RED one of the first product laws with mandatory cybersecurity requirements for consumer connected devices. ## Conformity assessment and harmonised standards The RED offers three conformity assessment routes. Where the manufacturer applies harmonised standards covering all the essential requirements, internal production control (Module A) allows self-declaration without a notified body. Where harmonised standards are applied only partially, or not at all, the manufacturer must use EU type examination (Module B) followed by conformity to type (Module C), or full quality assurance (Module H), both involving a notified body. In practice, most consumer radio equipment follows the self-declaration route using the well-established harmonised standards: radio standards from ETSI for spectrum use, EMC standards from the EN 301 489 series, and safety standards such as EN IEC 62368-1, plus SAR standards like EN 50360 for devices used close to the body. Test reports from accredited laboratories against these standards form the core of the technical documentation. The EU Declaration of Conformity for radio equipment must identify the legislation applied and the standards used, and the technical documentation must be kept for 10 years. Importers and distributors have the standard New Legislative Framework verification duties, including checking the CE marking, the declaration and the traceability information. ## The common charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380 amended the RED to introduce a common charger: from 28 December 2024, mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, portable speakers, handheld game consoles and similar devices must be equipped with a USB-C receptacle and support USB Power Delivery for fast charging. Laptops follow from 28 April 2026. The rules also address unbundling, allowing consumers to buy devices without a charger, and require clear labelling of charging capabilities. For manufacturers, this ended the era of proprietary charging connectors on in-scope devices sold in the EU and forced hardware redesigns, packaging changes and labelling updates. Because the EU market is large, many companies applied the change globally. The Commission can extend the approach to other device categories as technology evolves, so charger strategy is now a standing compliance item for portable electronics. ## Cybersecurity, privacy and fraud prevention The RED's delegated cybersecurity act is a landmark: from 1 August 2025, connected radio equipment must incorporate safeguards for network protection, personal data and privacy, and protection against fraud, where the equipment can communicate over the internet or handle payments. This covers a vast range of consumer IoT products, from smart cameras and voice assistants to connected toys and wearables. Manufacturers must assess cybersecurity risks as part of the product's conformity, implement appropriate technical measures such as secure authentication, encrypted communications and vulnerability management, and document the analysis in the technical file. Harmonised standards supporting these requirements are under development in ETSI, and where they are cited, they will give presumption of conformity as with other RED requirements. This overlaps with the EU Cyber Resilience Act, which sets broader cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements. Companies should map both regimes together, since a connected device may need to satisfy the RED's delegated act and the Cyber Resilience Act on coordinated timelines. | Requirement layer | Legal basis | Typical standards | |---|---|---| | Health and safety, incl. EMF exposure | RED Article 3(1)(a) | EN IEC 62368-1, EN 50360 (SAR) | | Electromagnetic compatibility | RED Article 3(1)(b) | EN 301 489 series | | Efficient spectrum use | RED Article 3(2) | EN 300 328, EN 301 893 | | Cybersecurity and privacy | Delegated Regulation 2022/30 | ETSI EN 303 645 family (supporting) | | Common charger | Directive 2022/2380 | USB-C, USB Power Delivery specs | ## Practical compliance for radio products Start by confirming RED scope and identifying every radio technology in the product, including pre-certified modules: using a certified radio module simplifies but does not eliminate the assessment, because integration, antennas and coexistence must still be evaluated. Map each essential requirement to a harmonised standard and plan testing with an accredited laboratory early, since radio testing has long lead times. Address the newer layers explicitly: verify charger compliance for in-scope devices, implement the cybersecurity measures for connected products, and document both in the technical file. Keep the declaration of conformity and technical documentation for 10 years, ensure traceability labelling and language-correct instructions, and confirm that importers and distributors can perform their verification duties. Finally, track the evolving delegated acts. The RED is one of the most actively developed directives, with work continuing on charging, cybersecurity and spectrum efficiency. A product compliant today may need design changes for the next delegated requirement, so regulatory monitoring belongs in the product roadmap. ## Frequently asked questions Does the RED apply to a product with a pre-certified Wi-Fi module? Yes, the end product is still radio equipment. The module's certification provides evidence for the module's radio performance, but integration, the antenna system, EMC, safety and labelling must be assessed for the finished product. When is a notified body required under the RED? When harmonised standards are not applied, or not applied in full, for the essential requirements. Most manufacturers use harmonised standards throughout and self-declare without a notified body. What is SAR and when does it matter? Specific Absorption Rate measures radio frequency energy absorbed by the body. Devices used close to the head or body, such as phones and wearables, must be assessed against exposure limits using standards such as EN 50360 and EN 50566. Do the common charger rules apply to laptops? Yes, from 28 April 2026. Mobile phones and the other listed categories have applied the rules since 28 December 2024. How do the RED cybersecurity rules relate to the Cyber Resilience Act? Both apply to connected products, with the RED delegated act covering radio equipment from August 2025 and the Cyber Resilience Act phasing in broader requirements. Map the two together to avoid duplicated or conflicting work. Can software updates break RED compliance? They can, if they change radio parameters or security properties. Manufacturers must ensure that intended software and hardware combinations remain compliant and should assess updates that affect radio or security behaviour. ## Sources - EU Radio Equipment Directive overview - EU harmonised standards overview - EU market surveillance framework