Yesterday, the European Commission published a new CE Directive for Radio Equipment. The new directive, with the number 2014/53/EC, repeals the Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity.
Directive 2014/53 applies to:
[blockquote]”electrical or electronic product, which intentionally emits and/or receives radio waves for the purpose of radio communication and/or radiodetermination, or an electrical or electronic product which must be completed with an accessory, such as antenna, so as to intentionally emit and/or receive radio waves for the purpose of radio communication and/or radiodetermination;”[/blockquote]
Unlike the previous directive, the Radio Equipment Directive not longer applies to telecommunication terminal equipment (TTE). TTE will from now on be regulated by directive 2008/63/EC ‘on competition in the markets in telecommunications terminal equipment’.
Also excluded from the new Radio Equipment Directive are:
[icon_list]
[icon_list_item type=”times”]Radio equipment used by radio amateurs within the meaning of Article 1, definition 56, of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Radio Regulations[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”times”]Marine equipment falling within the scope of Council Directive 96/98/EC[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”times”]Airborne products, parts and appliances falling within the scope of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”times”]Custom-built evaluation kits destined for professionals to be used solely at research and development facilities for such purposes[/icon_list_item]
[icon_list_item type=”times”]radio equipment exclusively used for activities concerning public security, defence, State security, including the economic well-being of the State in the case of activities pertaining to State security matters, and the activities of the State in the area of criminal law.[/icon_list_item]
[/icon_list]
Radio equipment falling within scope of this directive shall not be subject Low Voltage Directive (their chargers do need to comply with the LVD). However, the same electrical safety requirements as in the LVD apply, however without the limits set by the LVD. In other words, Radio Equipment that use less than 50VAC or 75VDC still need to follow the electrical safety requirements of the directive.
Directive 2014/43 includes the provision on obligations of economic operators, which previously were laid down in Decision 768/2008. The directive also provides for the essential requirements for radio equipment, the conformity assessment procedures, as well as rules for notified competent bodies, as well as requirements regarding the Technical File and Declaration of Conformity and CE marking.
The text of the new Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is included in our CE Library.
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