Radio equipment: obligations and conditions for the placing on the European market

The RED Directive 2014/53 / EU of the European Parliament and the Council - issued on 16 April 2014 and repealing Directive 1999/5 / EC - regulates the harmonization of the Member States relating to making available on the market of radio equipment Union, defining obligations and conditions in order to proceed in this sense.

Scope of

The directive defines "radio equipment", an electric or electronic product that emits and / or receives radio waves intentionally for the purpose of radio communication and / or radio determination or an electric or electronic product that must be completed with an accessory, as an antenna, for emitting and / or intentionally receive radio waves for radio communication and / or radiodetermination.

They are excluded from the application of Directive radio equipment used by radio amateurs or modified, radio equipment exclusively used for activities concerning public safety, marine equipment that falls within the scope of Directive 96/98 / EC, some equipment for aviation – defined by Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 the European Parliament and the Council - and the evaluation kit tailored for professionals, intended to be used only in research facilities.

The general principles of the directive for radio equipment on the observance of the essential requirements for the electrical safety of the product, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), the efficient use of spectrum. focal parameters of the radio equipment certification process - when comply - are shown by the CE marking and declaration of conformity.

In the process of certification of radio equipment, Directive identifies different types of businesses that meet the various obligations. These manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers and distributors.

Obligations of manufacturers

When placing their radio equipment on the market, manufacturers are required to ensure that these have been designed and manufactured in accordance with Directive, preparing the technical documentation and performing – or by running a competent Laboratory Testing as Sicom – its conformity assessment procedure for certification of radio equipment.

Manufacturers are required to draw up - or to draw - an EU declaration of conformity , affix the CE marking, retaining the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity for a period of ten years from the date on which the radio equipment has been introduced on the market and providing it to the competent authorities when required.

Obligation of manufacturers is also to ensure that production continues to comply with the directive, ensuring that the radio equipment placed on the market by them, packaging or in an accompanying document, It is affixed a number of type, batch, standard, their name, their trade name or trademark and the address where they can be contacted, in a language easily understandable to the end user.

A product kit, manufacturers shall ensure that every single radio equipment is accompanied by a copy of the EU declaration of conformity or a simplified EU declaration of conformity.

Finally,, manufacturers have a duty to take the necessary corrective action where it considers that a radio they put on the market does not comply with the Directive.

Obligations of authorized representatives

A manufacturer may appoint, by written mandate, an authorized representative who will have the duty to keep the EU declaration of conformity available for the national market surveillance authorities and the technical documentation for a period of ten years from the date on which the radio equipment has been introduced on the market and provide all required documentation following a reasoned request from a competent national authority.

Obligations of importers

The importer who wishes to place on a radio market is obliged to verify compliance, making sure that the manufacturer has carried out the appropriate conformity assessment procedure, being in possession of the technical documentation regarding the certification of radio equipment described in the preceding paragraph.

The importers, as manufacturers, meet the obligation to indicate on the equipment Radio, packaging or in an accompanying document, their name, their registered trade name or registered trade mark and the postal address to which they can be contacted.

They ensure that radio equipment is accompanied by instructions and safety information and that the storage or transport conditions do not jeopardize the equipment conforms same.

For a period of ten years from the date on which the radio equipment has been introduced on the market importers keep the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities; they also guarantee that, on request, Technical documentation will be made available to those authorities.

Finally,, as in the case of manufacturers, importers who have reason to believe that a radio they put on the market does not comply with the Directive, They are required to take the necessary corrective measures.

distributors Obligations

Before radio equipment available on the market distributors are obliged to check that it bears the CE marking, It is accompanied by the necessary documents, as well as by the instructions and safety information.

It's’ their duty to ensure - as in the case of importers - that during storage or transport radio equipment does not suffer damages that may jeopardize its compliance. You are required, Furthermore, to inform the supervisory authority in case Suppose there that the product does not comply with the essential safety requirements, taking the necessary corrective measures or withdrawing the product from the market when duty.

And distributors, following a reasoned request from a competent national authority, They are obliged to cooperate, providing it with all the information and documentation, in paper or electronic format, necessary to demonstrate the compliance of radio.

Sicom Testing performs in its laboratories all tests necessary for the Certification of radio equipment and for products of a different kind involving the use of radio interfaces.