Radio and teleterminal equipment

Radio Equipment Directive (RED)

The new European Radio Equipment Directive (RED) 2014/53/EU supersedes the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive and is effective in every EU/EEA from the 13th June 2016. Manufacturers with the products that are compliant to the R&TTE Directive have a further year to comply with the RED, that is, until the 13th June 2017. The Directive mainly provides the conditions for placing the radio equipment on the Union market.

The Directive 2014/53/EU can be read in English (pdf) or in Swedish (pdf).

The RED has been implemented in Sweden by the following national regulations (only available in Swedish):

Key elements

Some of the key elements are described as follows:

arrow Scope of the RED

  • Broadcast radio and TV receivers are within the scope of the RED
  • The radio frequency spectrum governed within the scope of the Directive now has no lower limit (It was previously covering the range from 9 kHz up to 3000 GHz)
  • The products that receive radio waves for the purpose of radio communication and/or radio determination are within the scope of the RED
  • Fixed line terminal equipment is outside the scope of the RED and now fall under the scope of the LVD and EMC Directive
  • Radio equipment falling within the scope of the RED are not subject to the LVD- and EMC directives (Article 1.4)

arrow Technical Requirements

  • Radio equipment shall be so constructed that it both effectively uses and supports the efficient use of radio spectrum in order to avoid harmful interference (Article 3.2), which includes the new requirements on radio receivers to achieve a minimum level of performance in order to contribute to an efficient use of radio spectrum (includes broadcast radio and TV receivers)

arrow Economic Operators’ Requirements

  • Clear obligations for manufacturers, importers and distributors
  • The traceability obligations of manufacturers, importers and distributors (strengthening the market surveillance)
  • In the case of re-branding, the owner of the appearing brand undertakes all responsibilities of the original manufacturer. The same applies if an economic operator modifies radio equipment in such a way that compliance with this Directive may be affected.

arrow Administrative Requirements

  • Equipment instructions, in the case of radio equipment intentionally emitting radio waves, shall include the information about the frequency band(s) and the maximum radio-frequency power transmitted in the frequency band(s) in which the radio equipment operates
  • Instructions shall include, where applicable, a description of accessories and components, including software, which allow the radio equipment to operate as intended
  • In addition to type, batch, model, serial number, and so on, allowing identification, the name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and the postal address of the manufacturer shall be on the product, on its packaging, or in a document accompanying the radio equipment
  • The CE marking shall be affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly to the radio equipment. It shall also be affixed visibly and legibly to the packaging, but the CE marking does not need to be affixed to the document accompanying the radio equipment
  • A copy of the Declaration of Conformity (complete or simplified) has to accompany the product
  • RED provides also the templates for complete and simplified EU DoC (Annex VI and Annex VII)

arrow Conformity Assessments

  • Regarding the conformity assessment for the protection of health and safety in Article 3.1(a), the foreseeable conditions of use shell be taken into account

arrow Notification Obligation

  • A manufacturer or his representative who intends to place the new radio equipment on the Swedish market, which operates in a radio frequency band that is not harmonised throughout the entire Community, does not need to notify the radio equipment to PTS or any other relevant national spectrum administration within the European Union

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