Any product that intentionally transmits or receives radio waves, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, LoRa, NFC, RFID or GNSS devices, must comply with the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU (RED) before it can carry the CE mark. RED covers electrical safety, EMC and efficient spectrum use in one directive. Since 1 August 2025, internet-connected radio equipment must also meet new cybersecurity requirements. Global Approbation guides Indian manufacturers through testing, Notified Body review and documentation.
RED at a Glance
| Legal basis | Directive 2014/53/EU (Radio Equipment Directive) |
|---|---|
| Essential requirements | Art. 3.1(a) health & safety (incl. RF exposure) · Art. 3.1(b) EMC · Art. 3.2 effective use of radio spectrum · Art. 3.3 specific requirements via delegated acts |
| Cybersecurity | Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30, mandatory from 1 August 2025 for in-scope internet-connected devices, toys and wearables; harmonised standards EN 18031-1/-2/-3 |
| Typical standards | EN 300 328 (2.4 GHz) · EN 301 893 (5 GHz) · EN 300 220 (SRD) · EN 301 489 series (EMC) · EN 62368-1 (safety) · EN 62311 / EN 62479 / EN 50566 (RF exposure) |
| Notified Body | Needed when harmonised standards are not applied in full (or are published with restrictions), via EU-type examination (Module B) |
| Common charger | Directive (EU) 2022/2380: USB-C charging for phones, tablets, cameras, headphones, speakers and more from 28 December 2024, and for laptops from 28 April 2026 |
Products Covered
- Smartphones, tablets and feature phones
- Bluetooth audio and wearables
- Wi-Fi routers, gateways and IoT modules
- Smart-home devices and connected appliances
- GPS trackers and telematics units
- RFID/NFC readers and payment terminals
- Wireless chargers and remote controls
- Drones and radio-controlled toys
How Global Approbation Handles RED
- Scope & standards. Radio technologies, frequency bands and applicable EN standards identified, including whether the cybersecurity requirements apply.
- Testing plan. Radio, EMC, safety and RF-exposure testing planned together, with existing WPC/ETA, FCC or TEC data reused where possible.
- Cybersecurity assessment. Security features, update mechanisms and documentation reviewed against EN 18031.
- Notified Body (if needed). EU-type examination coordinated when harmonised standards are not fully applied.
- DoC & marking. Technical file, EU Declaration of Conformity (full or simplified), frequency and power information in the manual, and CE marking.
RED: Frequently Asked Questions
Do products with a pre-certified radio module still need RED testing?
Usually yes, at least partially. A certified module helps, but the final product must be assessed as a whole: EMC, safety, RF exposure and, often, radio performance in the host device, plus cybersecurity where it applies.
What is EN 18031?
EN 18031-1, -2 and -3 are the harmonised standards for the RED cybersecurity requirements (network protection, personal-data protection and fraud prevention). Applying them lets many manufacturers self-declare. Some of the standards were published with restrictions, for example around default passwords, and in those cases a Notified Body may be needed.
Can my WPC/ETA or FCC report be used for RED?
The test data helps us plan, but EU testing to ETSI EN standards is still needed because limits and methods differ.
Does RED apply to receive-only devices?
Yes. RED covers equipment that intentionally receives radio waves too, such as GNSS receivers and broadcast radio receivers.
Regulations, standards and deadlines change. Scope, testing route and timelines are confirmed product by product after our applicability review. Global Approbation is a consultancy and does not itself issue certificates; approvals are granted by the relevant authority, accredited laboratory, certification body or notified body.