Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU

Last reviewed: October 2026 · Sources listed at the end of this page.

Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment — commonly the "Radio Equipment Directive" or RED — applies to all equipment intentionally emitting or receiving radio waves for radiocommunication or radiodetermination. It replaced Directive 1999/5/EC (R&TTE) and has applied since 13 June 2016. The Directive was published as OJ L 153, 22.5.2014, p. 62. Its most significant later developments are Directive (EU) 2022/2380 (the "common charger" amendment) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30, which activated the cybersecurity essential requirements.

Legal status and timeline

• Adoption: 16 April 2014.
• Date of application: 13 June 2016 (placing on the market under Directive 1999/5/EC was permitted until 12 June 2017).
• Repeal of Directive 1999/5/EC: 13 June 2016.
• Cybersecurity essential requirements (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30): apply since 1 August 2025; repealed from 11 December 2027 by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/339.
• Common charger amendment (Directive (EU) 2022/2380): applies since 28 December 2024 for most categories and since 28 April 2026 for laptops.
• Status in October 2026: applies.

Scope: products covered

Article 2(1) defines "radio equipment" as an electrical or electronic product that intentionally emits and/or receives radio waves for the purpose of radiocommunication and/or radiodetermination, or an electrical or electronic product which must be completed with an accessory in order to do so. The definition is technology-neutral: Wi-Fi devices, Bluetooth devices, cellular devices, satellite terminals, broadcast receivers, remote controls operating on radio frequencies, NFC, RFID readers, and amateur radio equipment are all in scope.

Exclusions (Annex I)

• Radio equipment used by radio amateurs as defined in the ITU Radio Regulations, unless it is made available on the market;
• Marine equipment falling within the scope of Council Directive 96/98/EC (now Directive 2014/90/EU on marine equipment);
• Airborne products, parts and appliances under Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 (now Regulation (EU) 2018/1139);
• Custom-built evaluation kits for professionals used solely at research and development facilities.

Essential requirements: Article 3

Article 3 of the RED sets out the essential requirements:

• 3(1)(a) — Safety. Protection of the health and safety of persons and domestic animals, and protection of property, including the objectives of the Low Voltage Directive applied without a lower voltage limit.
• 3(1)(b) — EMC. An adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility as set out in Directive 2014/30/EU.
• 3(2) — Effective use of radio spectrum. Construction so as to ensure effective use of and support efficient use of the radio spectrum to avoid harmful interference.
• 3(3) — Additional requirements activated by delegated act. Categories or classes of radio equipment for which the Commission has adopted delegated acts:
  • 3(3)(a) Interworking with accessories, in particular common chargers;
  • 3(3)(b) Interworking via networks with other radio equipment;
  • 3(3)(c) Connection to interfaces of the appropriate type throughout the Union;
  • 3(3)(d) No harm to the network or its functioning and no misuse of network resources (cybersecurity; activated by Delegated Regulation 2022/30);
  • 3(3)(e) Safeguards protecting personal data and privacy (cybersecurity; activated by Delegated Regulation 2022/30);
  • 3(3)(f) Protection from fraud (cybersecurity; activated by Delegated Regulation 2022/30);
  • 3(3)(g) Access to emergency services (activated for caller location by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/320, from 17 March 2022);
  • 3(3)(h) Facilitating use by users with a disability;
  • 3(3)(i) Software loading only where compliance of the combination of radio equipment and software has been demonstrated.

Cybersecurity (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30)

The Commission adopted Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 in October 2021, activating the essential requirements in Article 3(3)(d), (e), and (f) for specific categories of radio equipment. It was published in January 2022. The requirements have applied since 1 August 2025 (extended once from the original date) and cover:

• Internet-connected radio equipment (Article 3(3)(d)) — protection of the network against harm and misuse of network resources;
• Internet-connected radio equipment processing personal, traffic or location data, together with radio equipment for childcare, toys and wearables (Article 3(3)(e)) — protection of personal data and privacy;
• Internet-connected radio equipment enabling the transfer of money, monetary value, or virtual currency (Article 3(3)(f)) — protection against fraud.

Delegated Regulation 2022/30 excludes products covered by certain sectoral acts, including medical devices and in vitro diagnostics; check Articles 1 and 2 of that act.

Move to the CRA. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/339, adopted on 16 February 2026 and published on 29 April 2026, repeals 2022/30 from 11 December 2027, the day the Cyber Resilience Act applies in full. Equipment placed on the market up to 10 December 2027 stays under the RED cybersecurity rules. Equipment placed from 11 December 2027 meets the CRA instead, and the Declaration must then cite it. Plan to re-assess products still in production.

The EN 18031 series (parts 1, 2, 3) was cited in the OJEU on 30 January 2025 by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/138, with restrictions, to support compliance with Delegated Regulation 2022/30. Where the harmonised standards have not been applied in full or are applied subject to those restrictions, conformity assessment must include a Notified Body under Module B + C or H.

Common charger (Directive (EU) 2022/2380)

Directive (EU) 2022/2380 amended the RED to require harmonisation of charging interfaces for certain categories of radio equipment. Annex Ia, added by the amendment, applies to:

• Mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds — placed on the market from 28 December 2024;
• Laptops — from 28 April 2026.

For these categories, USB Type-C is the harmonised charging port; equipment supporting charging above 5 V, 3 A or 15 W must incorporate USB Power Delivery (USB PD); a harmonised label indicating charging characteristics must be visible on the equipment or its packaging.

Conformity assessment

Article 17 of the RED provides three procedures. Which are open depends on the requirement:

Under Module B + C or H, a Notified Body issues a certificate. Its four-digit identification number appears next to the CE marking only under Module H. For products covered by Delegated Regulation 2022/30, Module A is available only where the EN 18031 standards have been applied in full and outside their restrictions.

Technical documentation

Annex V sets the technical documentation contents specific to radio equipment, in addition to the general requirements:

• Description of operating frequencies, RF output power, modulation type, antenna characteristics;
• Accessories or components that influence radio performance;
• Where applicable, documentation on combinations of radio equipment and software that ensure compliance — Article 4 of the RED requires manufacturers to provide information on which combinations comply;
• Risk assessment covering the safety and EMC requirements absorbed into the RED;
• From 1 August 2025, documentation supporting cybersecurity essential requirements where Delegated Regulation 2022/30 applies.

See technical documentation.

EU Declaration of Conformity

Article 18 and Annex VI set the contents. Under Article 10(9), each item must be accompanied by a copy of the Declaration or by a "simplified Declaration" (Annex VII) giving the exact internet address at which the full Declaration can be obtained. The frequency band(s) and maximum RF power transmitted are not Declaration items: Article 10(8) requires them in the instructions. See EU Declaration of Conformity.

Marking and labelling

Articles 19 and 20 require the CE marking and, where applicable, the four-digit Notified Body identification number. The minimum dimensions are those of Annex II of Regulation 765/2008 (see affixing the CE mark). Radio equipment must additionally indicate, where appropriate, restrictions or requirements for authorisation of use in specific Member States (Article 10(10)). The common-charger amendment introduces a harmonised pictogram showing whether a charger is included with the radio equipment.

Recent and upcoming changes

• 1 August 2025 — cybersecurity essential requirements under Delegated Regulation 2022/30 apply.
• 28 December 2024 — common charger requirements apply to most categories.
• 28 April 2026 — common charger requirements apply to laptops.
• EN 18031-1, -2, -3 — harmonised standards for cybersecurity, cited in the OJEU on 30 January 2025 (Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/138).
• 29 April 2026 — Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/339 published; repeals 2022/30 from 11 December 2027.
• 20 January 2026 — the Commission abandoned its initiative on software loading under Articles 3(3)(i) and 4, after a study found the evidence limited.
• The Commission's RED guide was updated in 2026. It is non-binding.

Related legislation

• Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU — safety requirements absorbed into Article 3(1)(a); LVD does not apply in parallel to RED-covered products.
• EMC Directive 2014/30/EU — EMC requirements absorbed into Article 3(1)(b); EMC Directive does not apply in parallel.
• RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU — applies in parallel for restriction of hazardous substances.
• Battery Regulation 2023/1542 — applies in parallel for embedded batteries.
• Ecodesign Regulation 2024/1781 — applies in parallel for energy-related radio products covered by specific delegated acts.
• Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745 — for radio-enabled medical devices, applies in parallel.
• Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 — for radio-enabled machinery, applies in parallel.

Common errors

• Listing LVD and EMC Directive on the Declaration alongside the RED. The safety and EMC requirements are absorbed into the RED; listing the LVD and EMC Directive separately produces a Declaration that incorrectly suggests parallel application.
• Self-declaration under Module A without applying harmonised standards in full. For Article 3(2) and 3(3), Module A is conditional on full application of harmonised standards; partial application requires Module B + C or H.
• Missing frequency and RF power information. Article 10(8) requires the frequency band(s) and maximum RF power transmitted to be stated in the instructions; omission is a formal non-compliance.
• Treating cybersecurity as voluntary. Since 1 August 2025, the Delegated Regulation 2022/30 essential requirements are mandatory for in-scope products. Non-compliance after that date prevents lawful placing on the market.
• Confusion between RED and the new Cyber Resilience Act. Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (the Cyber Resilience Act) applies to products with digital elements and overlaps with the RED's cybersecurity essential requirements. The two regimes do not run in parallel for cybersecurity: the RED rules cover radio equipment until 10 December 2027, and the CRA takes over from 11 December 2027, although CRA reporting under Article 14 already applies to in-scope products.

Frequently asked questions

Do Bluetooth and Wi-Fi products need a Notified Body?

Not if harmonised standards are applied in full for Article 3(2) and any activated Article 3(3) requirements. If they are not, for example where an EN 18031 restriction applies, Module B + C or H is required.

Does the RED cybersecurity requirement end in 2027?

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 is repealed from 11 December 2027, but the duty does not disappear. Radio equipment placed on the market from that date must meet the Cyber Resilience Act.

Do RED products also list the LVD and EMC Directive?

No. Their safety and EMC objectives are covered by Article 3(1) of the RED, so the Declaration cites the RED.

Sources

• Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment — EUR-Lex consolidated text.
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 — EUR-Lex.
• Directive (EU) 2022/2380 (common charger) — EUR-Lex.
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/339 — EUR-Lex.
• European Commission — Radio Equipment Directive sector page.
• Commission Notice — Blue Guide 2022 — EUR-Lex.