Oct 1, 2026Certification Guides
CE RED Certification Guide: EU Market Access for Radio Products
What the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU requires for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other connected products: essential requirements, harmonized standards, testing and the CE marking route.
Every product with radio functionality sold in the European Union, from a Bluetooth sensor to a connected luminaire, must comply with the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU, known as the RED. This guide explains what the RED demands, which standards are typically applied, and how the CE marking route works in practice.
1. The Three Essential Requirements
Article 3 of the RED sets the essential requirements: health and safety protection, including electromagnetic compatibility, and efficient use of the radio spectrum. A connected product therefore has to satisfy safety and EMC requirements as well as radio requirements, which is why RED projects usually combine radio testing with EMC and safety assessment in one technical file.
2. Harmonized Standards in Practice
Most manufacturers demonstrate conformity using harmonized standards. For 2.4 GHz wideband radio such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, EN 300 328 is the key spectrum standard, 5 GHz Wi-Fi radio is covered by EN 301 893, and the EN 301 489 series covers EMC for radio equipment. The safety objectives of the Low Voltage Directive apply through RED Article 3.1(a), typically demonstrated with EN 62368-1 for ICT and audio-video equipment. The standard list depends on the radio technology and the product category, and your laboratory confirms the current versions before testing starts.
3. Testing and the Technical File
Testing covers the transmit and receive parameters, unwanted emissions, EMC immunity and emissions, and the safety aspects of the final configuration. The technical documentation behind the CE declaration of conformity must describe the product, the standards applied and the test results, and it must be kept available for market surveillance authorities.
4. CE Marking and UKCA Note
Once conformity is established, the manufacturer affixes the CE marking and issues the EU declaration of conformity. Products for the United Kingdom follow the separate UKCA route with its own documentation. Plan the labeling artwork early so one housing revision can serve both destinations where the rules allow.
5. How LCS Supports RED Projects
LCS provides RF and EMC testing for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other short-range radio products, together with the EMC and safety testing that RED projects need, serving manufacturers across IoT, smart home, lighting and consumer electronics. Send your product specification, radio technology and target markets through the contact page, and our engineers will reply with a test proposal.
