On 22 May 2014, Directive 2014/53/EU (the new Radio Equipment Directive, or RED for short) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It replaces the R&TTE directive 1999/5/EC, which had applied since 1999.
During the drafting of this directive, the Political Relations Committee (EUROCOM) of IARU Region 1 had several opportunities to comment on this legislation. These comments in partially taken into account in the drafting of the directive.
The Political Relations Committee is convinced that this new legislation will give European member states more power to ban the use and sale of devices that do not comply with this directive (e.g. in terms of unwanted radiations).
Annex 1 to this directive lists "EQUIPMENT NOT covered by this directive", containing:
1. Radio equipment used by radio amateurs within the meaning of Article 1, definition 56, of the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), unless such equipment is made available on the market. As not made available on the market are considered:
(a) radio kits for assembly and use by radio amateurs;
(b) radio equipment converted by radio amateurs for their own use;
(c) equipment built by radio amateurs themselves and intended for scientific and experimental purposes in the context of radio amateur services.