The New EU Radio Equipment Directive

22 Mar 2016

An overview of the revised standards

From phones to appliances, from what you drive to what you wear, our world is becoming more connected. That means more products are now behaving like radio equipment as the radio spectrum increasingly becomes a part of day-to-day life. As such, the EU Commission has had to review legislation governing radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment to effectively manage products.

On June 13, 2016 the current directive regulating radio equipment will be repealed and new requirements will come into law and all new products will need to comply with the updated directive. Until then, existing equipment can continue to be tested and certified to the current directive, remaining compliant until June 13, 2017, at which time all equipment within the scope of the directive—new and existing—must comply with the new version.

Changes under the new directive include, but are not limited to:

• A broader scope, which now includes cable and wiring equipment and applies to all other radio equipment being placed on the market in the EU (exceptions include equipment used exclusively for public security, defense, state security or the economic well-being of the state; amateur radio kits; marine equipment; airborne products; custom build kits used solely for R&D)
• Many of the descriptive terms have been changed or modified. For example, “radio equipment” now means electrical products used for radio communication or radiodetermination
• Manufacturers are solely responsible for conformity assessment and cannot use the procedures laid out in the LVD or EMC directives to demonstrate compliance
• Changes in limits to the radio frequency governed under the directive, as well as voltage limits for equipment
• Requirements for software and equipment capable of taking different configurations
• New guidance on labelling, marking, documentation, re-badging, and market surveillance
• Three options for proving compliance, two of which involve the use of a notified body.
• Specific compliance responsibilities assigned to each economic operator in the supply chain, as well as the distribution chain

Meeting RED requirements should be familiar ground for most companies. With clearer language and more defined responsibilities, there is now less room for misinterpretation of the requirements.