The Radio Equipment Directive (2014/53/EU, RED) governs radio equipment within its scope, including essential requirements, assessment, declarations and CE marking. Assess the complete equipment and its intended use, not just the radio module.
Radio equipment and other legislation
For radio equipment within RED, the safety objectives of LVD and the EMC requirements are incorporated through RED Article 3(1); the radio equipment does not automatically require separate LVD and EMC declarations. A separately supplied power supply may have its own assessment. Delegated Regulation 2022/30 activates different scopes for network protection, privacy and fraud protection; not every radio meets all three scope tests.
Available assessment procedures
The framework in Decision 768/2008/EC does not make every module available under every directive. LVD uses internal production control (A). EMC offers A or B+C. RED offers A, B+C in Annex III or full quality assurance (H) in Annex IV, subject to Article 17. MDR uses its own sector-specific procedures. Always check the law and product category before selecting a route.
Assess the three cybersecurity scopes separately
Under 2022/30, Article 3(3)(d) concerns internet-connected radio equipment. Paragraph (e) concerns internet-connected equipment, childcare equipment, toys and wearables capable of processing the specified personal, traffic or location data. Paragraph (f) concerns internet-connected radio equipment enabling transfers of money, monetary value or virtual currency. Article 2 provides exclusions; assess each subparagraph separately.
Adoption, publication and application
Delegated Regulation 2022/30 was adopted on 29 October 2021, published on 12 January 2022 and entered into force on 1 February 2022. Its requirements have applied since 1 August 2025, following the date amendment in 2023/2444. Regulation 2026/339 repeals 2022/30 from 11 December 2027; this is not a repeal of the whole Radio Equipment Directive.
Standards and their limits
Harmonised standards are generally voluntary. Applying an OJ-cited standard can provide a presumption of conformity only for the requirements it covers and subject to published restrictions. Under RED Article 17, missing or partly applied relevant standards for Article 3(2)/(3) require B+C or H for those requirements. Standards, accredited test laboratories and notified bodies have different roles.
Practical checklist
- Identify the product, intended use, market and applicable legal scope.
- Record the exact legal provisions, dates and applicable standard editions, including restrictions.
- Select the permitted assessment route and document the evidence needed.
- Link risk assessment, tests, product versions and declarations in the technical documentation.
- Assign responsibility for changes, support and responses to authorities.
This checklist supports planning; the applicable legal requirements determine the final assessment.