Electrical & Electronic Engineering Industries

Radio Equipment Directive (RED)

This is a regulatory framework for placing radio equipment on the market. It ensures a single market for radio equipment by setting essential requirements for safety and health, electromagnetic compatibility, and the efficient use of the radio spectrum. It also provides the basis for further regulation governing some additional aspects. These include technical features for the protection of privacy, personal data and against fraud. Furthermore, additional aspects cover interoperability, access to emergency services, and compliance regarding the combination of radio equipment and software.
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The Directive 2014/53/EU


​The Directive sets out rules for putting radio equipment on the European Union (EU) internal market.
The rules set out by the Directive aim to keep pace with the growing number and variety of radio equipment devices, to ensure that they do not interfere with each other and respect essential health and safety requirements.
The directive also sets out additional means for market surveillance to track and monitor products which fail to comply with the essential requirements (e.g. health and safety).

Scope of the Directive


  • ​The directive applies to all equipment which emits or receives radio waves for radiodetermination (determining the position, speed or other characteristics of an object using radio waves) or communication purposes. This includes devices such as mobile phones, car door openers and modems.
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  • It does not cover radio equipment used for public security and defence activities or radio equipment used by radio amateurs.
  • Amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 on civil aviation rules (see summary) also excludes from the scope of Directive 2014/53/EU the following aviation equipment intended exclusively for airborne use:
    • aircraft, other than unmanned aircraft, as well as associated engines, propellers, parts and non-installed equipment;
    • unmanned aircraft, as well as associated engines, propellers, parts and non-installed equipment, the design of which is certified in accordance with that regulation and which are intended to operate only on frequencies allocated by the radio regulations of the International Telecommunications Union for protected aeronautical use.

​Obligations of manufacturers, importers and distributors


​The directive contains lists of obligations of manufacturers (Article 10), importers (Article 12) and distributors (Article 13).
For example, before manufacturers put their radio equipment on the market for sale, they need to ensure that it has been designed and manufactured in such a way that it meets a number of essential requirements. One of these is to ensure the protection of the health and safety of people and of domestic animals.Other requirements are set out in Article 3 and relate to the protection of personal data and privacy, protection against fraud and access to emergency services.

The new Directive  (EU) 2022/2380
Battery chargers: from 2024 "USB-C" charging port is the new EU standard


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​The European Commission has been seeking to limit the fragmentation of the market for charging interfaces for mobile phones and similar devices since 2009.

​In 2009, major producers of mobile phones agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on harmonising chargers based on the USB 2.0 micro-B interface. However, the MoU allowed for the use of proprietary charging interfaces, preventing full interoperability.

The MoU expired in 2014, and the Commission has been trying to foster the adoption of a new voluntary agreement. In 2018, the industry proposed a new MoU, but the Commission did not consider it satisfactory as it allowed for proprietary solutions.

In 2018, the Commission launched an impact assessment study for a possible proposal aimed at implementing a common solution for charging mobile phones. The study concluded that only harmonising the charging interface would not achieve full interoperability, and a common charging device across different types of radio equipment would increase consumer convenience. The European Parliament adopted a resolution in January 2020 calling for the urgent adoption of a standard for a common charger for mobile phones to avoid further internal market fragmentation.
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​On 23 November 2022, the EU adopted a Directive to revise Directive (EU) 2014/53/EU. The Directive includes, in particular, rules which:

  • establish a harmonised charging interface for certain categories and classes of radio equipment capable of being recharged via wired charging;
  • harmonise the charging communication protocol for such radio equipment;
  • lay down the framework for the future adaptation of the harmonised charging solution and the potential future harmonisation of the charging requirements for radio equipment capable of being recharged by any means other than wired charging;
  • relate to the unbundling of the sale of a charger from the sale of the concerned radio equipment;
  • improve the information to be provided to consumers.
As from 2025 all new handheld mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, handheld videogame consoles, headphones, headsets, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems and earbuds will have to be equipped with the harmonised charging solution (namely, with a USB-C charging port).

In the case of laptops, the requirements would become applicable as from 2026.

Delegated and implementing acts

The Commission has adopted two delegated acts:
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  • Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/320 supplements Directive 2014/53/EU with regard to the application of the essential requirements to ensure caller location in emergency communications from handheld mobile telephones with features similar to those of a computer in terms of capability to treat and store data.
  • Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 supplements Directive 2014/53/EU with regard to the application of the essential requirements. It requires manufacturers to integrate privacy and personal data, network security and fraud prevention considerations into the design of radio equipment.

And adopted an Implementing Regulation:
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Guidance


The RED guide aims to help with the common application of the RED. It has no weight in law but deals with practical issues that are of interest to manufacturers and other stakeholders. The guide will be continuously updated, following the discussions and the opinion of the TCAM.
Radio equipment directive FAQ: relates to the transition between the R&TTED and the RED.
See also

Standardisation


Voluntary harmonised standards in support of the RED have been and are being prepared by CENELEC and ETSI in reply to the standardisation request M/536