Letter to European Commissioners on the absence of harmonised standards under the Radio Equipment Directive

Manufacturers of radio equipment are facing an unacceptable situation: to date, only 26 out of the 200-plus standards they need to demonstrate compliance with the Radio Equipment Directive (RED) are available – while 89 standards adopted by ETSI are still awaiting the Commission’s scrutiny and approval. This delay is due to new procedures established by the Commission, which we consider overly bureaucratic.

Already, this situation is incurring unnecessary supplementary certification costs for our manufacturers, as to prove conformity with the Directive, they are obliged to consult a notified body in the absence of harmonised standards for the use of the radio spectrum.

We believe that this may hinder the free circulation of radio equipment within the Single Market, contrary to the Commission’s ambitions as expressed in its Single Market Strategy and Better Regulation Agenda.

This is why we are calling on the European Commission to either postpone the application of the Directive for two more years, or to urgently devise a solution to reassure radio equipment manufacturers that they will not face any legal uncertainty over the next two years.

Download our open letter to the relevant Commissioners to read our position in full.