RED required tests (health, EMC, spectrum, cybersecurity)

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 14 min read

The RED does not list tests. Article 3 sets essential requirements (health and safety, EMC, efficient use of spectrum and, since 1 August 2025 for the classes named in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30, network protection, privacy and fraud), and the tests come from the harmonised standards cited in Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2191 as amended. This page reads, as of 7 October 2026, the limits and levels in the cited editions themselves: the exposure values of Recommendation 1999/519/EC, the immunity levels of EN 301 489-1 V2.2.3, the spectrum parameters of EN 300 328, EN 301 893 and EN 300 220-2, and the restrictions on the EN 18031 citations.

The four test families and their cited standards

Requirement	What is tested	Cited standards (examples)	Conformity routes
Article 3(1)(a), health and safety	RF exposure, electrical safety without voltage limit	EN 50360, EN 50566, EN 50385, EN 50401	Annex II, III or IV (Article 17(2))
Article 3(1)(b), EMC	Emissions on wired ports, immunity	Specific parts of EN 301 489, for example -3 V2.3.2, -17 V3.3.1, -52 V1.3.1	Annex II, III or IV
Article 3(2), spectrum	Power, unwanted emissions, channel access, receiver	EN 300 328, EN 301 893, EN 300 220-2, EN 301 908 series	Annex II only if the cited standards are applied in full (Article 17(3))
Article 3(3)(d), (e), (f), cybersecurity	Security mechanisms and their assessment	EN 18031-1, -2, -3:2024 with restrictions	Annex II only if applied in full and no restriction applies (Article 17(3) and (4))

The modules follow Article 17: internal production control is Annex II, EU-type examination followed by conformity to type is Annex III, full quality assurance is Annex IV. See RED procedure for the module choice and technical file for where each report goes.

Article 3(1)(a): health and safety (RF exposure)

The EU limits

The exposure values come from Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC, which draws on the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines it cites. The basic restrictions (Table 1) and the general-public reference levels for radio frequencies (Table 2) are:

Quantity	Frequency range	Value in 1999/519/EC
Whole-body average SAR	100 kHz to 10 GHz	0.08 W/kg
Localised SAR, head and trunk	100 kHz to 10 GHz	2 W/kg
Localised SAR, limbs	100 kHz to 10 GHz	4 W/kg
Power density (basic restriction)	10 to 300 GHz	10 W/m²
Electric field (reference level)	1 to 10 MHz	87/f1/2 V/m (f in MHz)
Electric field	10 to 400 MHz	28 V/m
Electric field	400 to 2 000 MHz	1.375 f1/2 V/m
Electric field	2 to 300 GHz	61 V/m
Equivalent plane wave power density	10 to 400 MHz	2 W/m²
Equivalent plane wave power density	400 to 2 000 MHz	f/200 W/m²
Equivalent plane wave power density	2 to 300 GHz	10 W/m²

SAR values are averaged over any six-minute period, and localised SAR over any 10 g of contiguous tissue (notes 6 and 7 to Table 1). The recommendation itself says that for highly localised exposure, "such as with hand-held telephones and the human head", reference levels are not appropriate and the localised basic restriction must be assessed directly: that is why devices used close to the body are measured for SAR.

SAR for devices used close to the body

The RED list cites two product standards for these devices:

Standard	Scope in the OJ title	Cited reference
EN 50360	Wireless devices used next to the ear, 300 MHz to 6 GHz	EN 50360:2017 + A1:2023
EN 50566	Hand-held and body-mounted devices in close proximity to the human body, 30 MHz to 6 GHz	EN 50566:2017 + A1:2023 (row 4a, deleted from 7 March 2028), and + A2:2025 (row 4b, Decision (EU) 2026/2003)

The SAR measurement itself (phantom filled with tissue-simulating liquid, robotic probe scan, averaging over 10 g) follows IEC/IEEE 62209-1528, which replaced IEC 62209-1 and -2 and is not itself cited in the RED list. See SAR procedures.

Fixed or remotely used equipment

For equipment not used against the body (access points, gateways, wall-mounted sensors), exposure is often shown by calculation against the reference levels. EN 62311 and EN 62479 are not in the RED list: when used, they are "other technical specifications" listed and justified in the technical file, not a presumption of conformity.

A worked example of the far-field estimate: a 2.4 GHz transmitter at 20 dBm (100 mW) EIRP gives, at 0.3 m, a power density of 0.1 / (4π × 0.3²) ≈ 0.088 W/m², that is an electric field of about √(30 × 0.1) / 0.3 ≈ 5.8 V/m. The reference levels at 2.4 GHz are 61 V/m and 10 W/m², not the 28 V/m that applies from 10 to 400 MHz. The calculation, its assumptions and the distance chosen go in the file.

Working on SAR calculation for specific equipment for a real product? AESTECHNO can audit your design and certification plan. Get in touch

Article 3(1)(b): EMC of radio equipment

The EN 301 489 series covers EMC. Part 1 (common technical requirements, latest published version V2.2.3 of November 2019) is used through the specific parts; it is not itself cited in Annex I to Decision 2022/2191. The specific parts cited today carry two notices: no presumption for emissions below 9 kHz, and no presumption for Article 3(1)(b) "if its clause 6 is applied".

Part	Coverage	Cited version
EN 301 489-3	Short range devices, 9 kHz to 246 GHz	V2.3.2 (Decision 2025/893)
EN 301 489-17	Broadband and wideband data (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)	V3.3.1 (Decision 2025/893)
EN 301 489-19	Receive-only mobile earth stations and GNSS receivers	V2.2.1
EN 301 489-52	Cellular user equipment	V1.3.1 (V1.2.1 deleted from 15 November 2026)

What EN 301 489-1 does and does not test

• Radiated emissions of the radio are not in it. Its scope excludes the antenna port and radiated emissions from the enclosure of radio equipment, and clause 8.1.1 says these are "covered by the appropriate standard under article 3.2". The enclosure radiated test (EN 55032 Annex A, Class B) applies only to ancillary equipment assessed separately from the radio.
• Conducted emissions apply to wired ports: DC power, AC mains, wired network, plus harmonics (EN 61000-3-2) and flicker (EN 61000-3-3) on the AC mains input, for fixed-use equipment.
• Exclusion bands. Around the operating frequency, an exclusion band of 250 % of the channel width (or occupied bandwidth) either side is not assessed during immunity tests; it is not applied when measuring transmitters in standby mode (clause 4.3).
• Two performance criteria, not the generic A/B/C ladder. For continuous phenomena the equipment must keep operating as intended during the test, with no unintended transmission, change of operating state or change of critical stored data (clause 6.1). For transient phenomena it must not change mode or lose critical stored data, and must operate as intended afterwards (clause 6.2). Loss of function is allowed only for surges on symmetrically operated wired network ports connected to outdoor lines.

Immunity levels in EN 301 489-1 V2.2.3

Phenomenon	Basic standard	Level in clause 9	Applies to
Radiated RF field	EN 61000-4-3	3 V/m, 80 MHz to 6 000 MHz, 80 % AM at 1 kHz	Enclosure, all use classes
ESD	EN 61000-4-2	±4 kV contact, ±8 kV air	Fixed and portable use
Fast transients (EFT/burst)	EN 61000-4-4	1 kV, 5 kHz on AC mains; 0.5 kV on DC power, signal, control and wired network ports	Fixed use
Conducted RF	EN 61000-4-6	3 V rms, 150 kHz to 80 MHz, 80 % AM at 1 kHz	Fixed use
Voltage dips and interruptions	EN 61000-4-11	0 % for 0.5 and 1 cycle, 70 % for 25 cycles, 0 % for 250 cycles (50 Hz)	AC mains, fixed use
Surge	EN 61000-4-5	AC mains 2 kV line to ground, 1 kV line to line; outdoor wired network 1 kV; indoor wired network over 30 m 0.5 kV	Fixed use
Vehicular transients	ISO 7637-2	Pulses 1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b and 4 at test level III, 12 V and 24 V	DC power, vehicle use

Note 2 to the scope allows a product-specific part of the series to apply in place of the common part, so check your part (for example -17 or -52) before fixing the test plan.

Article 3(2): efficient use of spectrum

The band rules come from Commission decisions; the cited ETSI standard sets the parameters and how the lab measures them. The four tables below are read from the standards themselves.

2.4 GHz wideband data: EN 300 328 V2.2.2

Parameter	Value in the standard
Band	2 400 to 2 483.5 MHz (UWB excluded)
RF output power	20 dBm e.i.r.p. maximum, FHSS and non-FHSS
Power spectral density (non-FHSS)	10 dBm per MHz e.i.r.p.
Medium utilisation, non-adaptive equipment	10 % maximum
Adaptivity (LBT or detect and avoid)	Required for adaptive equipment above 10 dBm e.i.r.p.; detection threshold -70 dBm/MHz for 20 dBm, relaxed for lower power
Out-of-band emissions	Transmit mask of figure 1 (FHSS) or figure 3 (non-FHSS)
Transmitter spurious emissions	-36 dBm (100 kHz) in 30 MHz to 1 GHz, -54 dBm in the broadcast bands 47 to 74, 87.5 to 118, 174 to 230 and 470 to 694 MHz, -30 dBm (1 MHz) from 1 to 12.75 GHz
Receiver spurious emissions	-57 dBm (30 MHz to 1 GHz), -47 dBm (1 to 12.75 GHz)
Receiver blocking	Category 1, 2 or 3 depending on power, adaptivity and medium utilisation

A non-specific 2.4 GHz SRD at 10 mW e.i.r.p. falls under EN 300 440, not EN 300 328: see license-free bands.

5 GHz RLAN: EN 301 893 V2.2.1

V2.2.1 was cited by Decision 2025/893; V2.1.1 keeps its citation until it is deleted on 15 May 2028. Table 2 of V2.2.1 gives the mean e.i.r.p. limits:

Sub-band	Power with TPC	Power without TPC	PSD with / without TPC	DFS
1: 5 150 to 5 250 MHz	23 dBm	23 dBm	10 / 10 dBm/MHz	No
2: 5 250 to 5 350 MHz	23 dBm	20 dBm	10 / 7 dBm/MHz	Yes
3: 5 470 to 5 725 MHz	30 dBm	27 dBm	17 / 14 dBm/MHz	Yes

TPC must give a range of at least 6 dB. Secondary devices without radar detection in sub-band 3 must meet the sub-band 2 limits. Unwanted emissions outside the operating bands follow Table 3 (-30 dBm/MHz from 1 to 26 GHz). The 5 725 to 5 850 MHz band (sub-band 4) is in Annex B and depends on national conditions. 6 GHz RLAN is a separate standard, EN 303 687 V1.1.1, cited with notices.

Sub-GHz SRD: EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1

EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1 (2025-03) was cited by Decision 2025/2499; V3.1.1 is deleted from the list from 11 June 2027. Its band table uses letters, and limits are in e.r.p.:

Band in V3.3.1	Frequencies	Power	Access rule
H	433.050 to 434.790 MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	10 % duty cycle
L	865 to 868 MHz	25 mW e.r.p.	1 % duty cycle or polite spectrum access
M	868.000 to 868.600 MHz	25 mW e.r.p.	1 % duty cycle or polite spectrum access
N	868.700 to 869.200 MHz	25 mW e.r.p.	0.1 % duty cycle or polite spectrum access
O	869.400 to 869.650 MHz	500 mW e.r.p.	10 % duty cycle or polite spectrum access
Q	869.700 to 870.000 MHz	25 mW e.r.p.	1 % duty cycle or polite spectrum access

Transmission in the alarm bands (868.6 to 868.7, 869.2 to 869.4 and 869.65 to 869.7 MHz) is not allowed under this part. See license-free bands for the Decision 2006/771/EC entries behind each row.

Cellular and UWB

Technology	Cited standard	Note in the citation
GSM	EN 301 511 V12.5.1
IMT common requirements	EN 301 908-1 V15.2.1
LTE user equipment	EN 301 908-13 V13.3.1	No presumption for total radiated power and sensitivity for equipment narrower than 56 mm or wider than 72 mm
5G NR user equipment	EN 301 908-25 V15.1.1
UWB, generic	EN 302 065-1 V2.1.1	Band 6.0 to 8.5 GHz at -41.3 dBm/MHz mean e.i.r.p. (Decision 2019/785, Annex replaced by 2024/1467)

Cellular conformance runs against a system simulator; which operating bands are tested depends on the bands the product declares. See 3GPP RF conformance test plan and UWB.

Who measures

The RED does not require an accredited laboratory under internal production control. A notified body is required when Article 17(3) or (4) applies. Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 is how a laboratory shows competence for the exact standards and versions on its scope: read the scope annex before ordering.

Article 3.3: cybersecurity since August 2025

Which products

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 applies from 1 August 2025. It activates 3(3)(d), network protection, for radio equipment that can communicate itself over the internet; 3(3)(e), personal data and privacy, for internet-connected radio equipment, childcare radio equipment, toys and wearables that process personal data; and 3(3)(f), fraud, for internet-connected radio equipment that lets the user transfer money, monetary value or virtual currency. Medical devices under Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and 2017/746 are excluded. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/339 repeals 2022/30 from 11 December 2027, when the Cyber Resilience Act applies in full.

What the standards assess

EN 18031-1, EN 18031-2 and EN 18031-3:2024 are CEN-CENELEC standards, one per point (d), (e) and (f). They define security requirements whose applicability is decided per product with decision trees, and each requirement is assessed pass or fail; they do not define "basic, substantial, high" assurance levels, which belong to the Cybersecurity Act. Decision 2025/138 describes the clauses it restricts: 6.1.3 to 6.1.6 of part 2 (access control for toys and childcare equipment), 6.2.5.1 and 6.2.5.2 (default passwords) and 6.3.2.4 of part 3 (secure updates).

The restrictions in Decision (EU) 2025/138

Standard	Restriction in the OJ citation
EN 18031-1	The "rationale" and "guidance" sections give no presumption; no presumption if, under clauses 6.2.5.1 and 6.2.5.2, the user is allowed not to set and use any password
EN 18031-2	The same two, plus: for equipment covered by clauses 6.1.3 to 6.1.6, no presumption if parental or guardian access control is not ensured
EN 18031-3	The same two, plus: no presumption as regards the assessment criteria of clause 6.3.2.4 (secure updates), which the decision finds insufficient for financial assets

Consequence: a manufacturer can use internal production control (Annex II) only when the standard is applied in full and the product falls under none of these restrictions. Otherwise Article 17(4) requires EU-type examination (Annex III) or full quality assurance (Annex IV) with a notified body. Neither the standards nor the decision prescribe penetration testing as such; the evidence is what each applicable requirement asks for. See product cybersecurity.

Pre-tests in house or external laboratory

Pre-testing in house clears gross issues before the lab campaign. What is realistic depends on equipment, not on the directive.

Family	In house realistic?	What it needs
Conducted emissions on mains	Yes, as pre-compliance	Artificial mains network, receiver or spectrum analyser
ESD	Yes	Calibrated ESD generator, reference ground plane
Burst and surge	Yes	Generators and coupling/decoupling networks
Radiated RF immunity, 80 MHz to 6 GHz	Rarely	Anechoic chamber with a uniform field area, amplifiers
Article 3(2) conducted parameters	Partly	Power and spectrum measurement on an antenna connector or test port
Article 3(2) radiated spurious	Rarely	Anechoic chamber, calibrated antennas
SAR	No	Dosimetric probe system and phantoms
EN 18031	Yes, under Annex II when no restriction applies	Documentation of the decision trees and of each mechanism
Cellular	No	System simulator

Durations and prices are not set by any text: they come from the laboratory quote. The certification costs guide lists the fees that regulators and programmes do publish.

Claims the texts contradict

Claim (including on earlier versions of this page)	What the texts say
"EN 301 489-1 requires the severe ESD levels, two steps above the usual pair"	Clause 9.3.2 of V2.2.3: ±4 kV contact, ±8 kV air.
"EN 301 489-1 is the harmonised standard to cite for radio EMC"	It is not cited on its own; the specific parts are, such as -17 V3.3.1, with two notices.
"Radio EMC includes radiated emissions of the radio up to 6 GHz, Class B, and transmitter spurious per EN 301 489-X"	EN 301 489-1 excludes radiated emissions of radio equipment; they belong to the Article 3(2) standard (Table 4 of EN 300 328, Table 3 of EN 301 893).
"868 MHz sub-band G3 is 868 to 868.6 MHz at 25 mW EIRP"	EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1 calls it band M, 25 mW e.r.p., 1 % duty cycle or polite spectrum access.
"5 GHz: 23 dBm in 5 150 to 5 350 MHz, 30 dBm in 5 470 to 5 725 MHz"	True only with TPC; without TPC, 20 dBm in sub-band 2 and 27 dBm in sub-band 3 (EN 301 893 V2.2.1, Table 2).
"EN 300 328: out-of-band -10 dBm/MHz and spurious -36 dBm below 1 GHz"	Out-of-band follows the transmit mask; spurious is -36 dBm except -54 dBm in four broadcast bands, -30 dBm above 1 GHz.
"A 20 dBm Wi-Fi access point gives 2 to 3 V/m at 30 cm, against a 28 V/m limit"	The far-field estimate is about 5.8 V/m, and the reference level at 2.4 GHz is 61 V/m; 28 V/m applies from 10 to 400 MHz.
"The EU exposure limits follow ICNIRP 2020"	Recommendation 1999/519/EC cites the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines and has not been replaced.
"SAR methods are EN 62209-1, -2 and -3"	IEC/IEEE 62209-1528 replaced IEC 62209-1 and -2; the RED list cites EN 50360 and EN 50566, not the method.
"EN 18031 cybersecurity uses six assessment steps, TLS 1.2+, AES-128, MFA, PCI DSS"	None of these is in Decision 2025/138 or Delegated Regulation 2022/30; requirements and their applicability come from the standard decision trees.
"Typical RED campaign: 12 weeks, €25,000 to €60,000"	No text sets durations or fees; earlier figures had no source and were removed.

Further reading

• RED procedure: assessment modules and Notified Bodies
• Technical file: Annex V and the DoC
• Common pitfalls: recurring radio errors
• Harmonised standards: complete standards table
• CE tests: cited editions under EMC, LVD and RED

See also

• Radiated emissions EMC test: pre-scan and final scan: the radiated method for ancillary equipment and for the Article 3(2) spurious measurements.
• Pre-compliance EMC: TEM cell, near-field probes, LISN: internal pre-test bench to clear gross issues before the external campaign.
• EMC chamber types: SAC, FAR, OATS, GTEM, reverberation: chamber selection for RED Article 3(1)(b) and 3(2) measurements.
• Antenna design and impedance matching: antenna integration drives EIRP, mask and SAR results.
• Calibration and measurement uncertainty (GUM, CISPR): uncertainty budget for RED radio measurements.
• Radio spectrum: SRD and license-free bands: the band decisions behind EN 300 220-2, EN 300 328 and EN 301 893.
• Certification test plan template: editions, criteria and change control in one document.

Sources & references

1. Directive 2014/53/EU (RED), Articles 3, 16 and 17 and Annexes II to IV, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/53/oj
2. Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC, basic restrictions (Table 1) and reference levels (Table 2), EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reco/1999/519/oj
3. Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2191, RED harmonised standards, consolidated text including amendments up to Decision (EU) 2026/2003, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02022D2191-20261115
4. Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/138, EN 18031-1, -2 and -3 cited with restrictions, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/138/oj
5. Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/893, EN 301 489 parts with notices, EN 301 893 V2.2.1, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/893/oj
6. Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2499, EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1, V3.1.1 deleted from 11 June 2027, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/2499/oj
7. Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2003 of 4 September 2026, EN 50566 with A2:2025, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/2003/oj
8. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30, articles 3(3)(d), (e) and (f), EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2022/30/oj
9. Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1467, UWB annex to Decision 2019/785, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/1467/oj
10. ETSI EN 301 489-1 V2.2.3 (2019-11), EMC common technical requirements, ETSI www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/301400_301499/30148901/02.02.03_60/en_30148901v020203p.pdf
11. ETSI EN 300 328 V2.2.2 (2019-07), 2.4 GHz wideband data transmission, ETSI www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/300300_300399/300328/02.02.02_60/en_300328v020202p.pdf
12. ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 (2024-11), 5 GHz WAS/RLAN, ETSI www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/301800_301899/301893/02.02.01_60/en_301893v020201p.pdf
13. ETSI EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1 (2025-03), SRD 25 MHz to 1 000 MHz, ETSI www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/300200_300299/30022002/03.03.01_60/en_30022002v030301p.pdf