Radio equipment

Changes in 2016 and 2017

Directive No. 1999/5/EC on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (the R&TTE Directive) was replaced, with effect on 13th June 2016 by 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 and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC (the RED Directive).

In this context, Governement Order No. 426/2000 Coll., which determines technical standards for radio and telecommunications terminal equipment, as amended, was replaced by new Government Order No. 426/2016 Coll, on the assessment of conformity of radio equipment when delivered to the market.

The new directive introduces a number of changes concerning consideration of conformity and the operation of radio equipment, among them:

1. Only radio equipment will now fall under the Directive. Terminal telecommunications equipment remains to be regulated by general directives for electrical equipment.
2. Equipment under 9 kHz will now be considered radio equipment.
3. The requirement that the type of equipment is defined, including relation to software.
4. Obligations are laid down not only for manufacturer, authorised representative and importer, but also for distributor.
5. The frequency and wattage must now be specified for each product.
6. Radio and TV receivers will now be included in the Directive.
7. It is no longer possible to place equipment on the market which cannot be operated in at least one EU Member State.
8. Only the manufacturer must consider conformity and provide the product with the CE mark.
9. Equipment for testing purposes has now been removed from the directive.
10. A warning sign (!) will no longer be used for the CE mark according to the Commission Implementing  Regulation 2017/1354.

As of 13 June 2017, radio equipment can only be placed on the market in accordance with the new Directive/Government Order.

Changes from 2021 to 2024

Aeronautical equipment

In Annex 1 of the Directive and Government Order (Equipment not covered by this Directive/Government Order), the aeronautical equipment not covered by the Directive/Government Regulation is specified.

  • Consolidated version of the Directive 2014/53/EU as of 11 September 2018
  • Government Order No. 499/2021 Coll., amending Government Regulation No. 426/2016 Coll.

Cybersecurity requirements:

As of 1 August 2024, specified radio equipment connected directly or indirectly to the Internet is required to meet the cybersecurity requirements set in harmonised standards:

  • COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2022/30 of 29 October 2021 supplementing Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the application of the essential requirements referred to in Article 3(3), points (d), (e) and (f), of that Directive.

Single chargers

Under Directive (EU) 2022/2380 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 November 2022 amending Directive 2014/53/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment, mobile phones and other specified equipment will be required to be fitted with a single charging interface - a USB-C charging port - from 28 December 2024 (for laptops this obligation will apply from 28 April 2026).(The standards are specified in Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1717

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