Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

CHAPTER II OBLIGATIONS OF ECONOMIC OPERATORS

Article 10 Obligations of manufacturers

1. When placing their radio equipment on the market, manufacturers shall ensure that it has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the essential requirements set out in Article 3.

2. Manufacturers shall ensure that radio equipment shall be so constructed that it can be operated in at least one Member State without infringing applicable requirements on the use of radio spectrum.

3. Manufacturers shall draw up the technical documentation referred to in Article 21 and carry out the relevant conformity assessment procedure referred to in Article 17 or have it carried out.

Where compliance of radio equipment with the applicable requirements has been demonstrated by that conformity assessment procedure, manufacturers shall draw up an EU declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking.

4. Manufacturers shall keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity for 10 years after the radio equipment has been placed on the market.

5. Manufacturers shall ensure that procedures are in place for series production to remain in conformity with this Directive. Changes in radio equipment design or characteristics and changes in the harmonised standards or in other technical specifications by reference to which conformity of radio equipment is declared shall be adequately taken into account.

When deemed appropriate with regard to the risks presented by radio equipment, manufacturers shall, to protect the health and safety of end-users, carry out sample testing of radio equipment made available on the market, investigate, and, if necessary, keep a register of complaints, of non-conforming radio equipment and radio equipment recalls, and shall keep distributors informed of any such monitoring.

6. Manufacturers shall ensure that radio equipment which they have placed on the market bears a type, batch or serial number or other element allowing its identification, or, where the size or nature of the radio equipment does not allow it, that the required information is provided on the packaging, or in a document accompanying the radio equipment.

7. Manufacturers shall indicate on the radio equipment their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and the postal address at which they can be contacted or, where the size or nature of radio equipment does not allow it, on its packaging, or in a document accompanying the radio equipment. The address shall indicate a single point at which the manufacturer can be contacted. The contact details shall be in a language easily understood by end-users and market surveillance authorities.

8. Manufacturers shall ensure that the radio equipment is accompanied by instructions and safety information in a language which can be easily understood by consumers and other end-users, as determined by the Member State concerned. Instructions shall include the information required to use radio equipment in accordance with its intended use. Such information shall include, where applicable, a description of accessories and components, including software, which allow the radio equipment to operate as intended. Such instructions and safety information, as well as any labelling, shall be clear, understandable and intelligible.

The following information shall also be included in the case of radio equipment intentionally emitting radio waves:

(a) frequency band(s) in which the radio equipment operates;

(b) maximum radio-frequency power transmitted in the frequency band(s) in which the radio equipment operates.

9. Manufacturers shall ensure that each item of radio equipment is accompanied by a copy of the EU declaration of conformity or by a simplified EU declaration of conformity. Where a simplified EU declaration of conformity is provided, it shall contain the exact internet address where the full text of the EU declaration of conformity can be obtained.

10. In cases of restrictions on putting into service or of requirements for authorisation of use, information available on the packaging shall allow the identification of the Member States or the geographical area within a Member State where restrictions on putting into service or requirements for authorisation of use exist. Such information shall be completed in the instructions accompanying the radio equipment. The Commission may adopt implementing acts specifying how to present that information. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 45(2).

11. Manufacturers who consider or have reason to believe that radio equipment which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this Directive shall immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring that radio equipment into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, if appropriate. Furthermore, where the radio equipment presents a risk, manufacturers shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the radio equipment available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-compliance, of any corrective measures taken and of the results thereof.

12. Manufacturers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide it with all the information and documentation in paper or electronic form necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the radio equipment with this Directive, in a language which can be easily understood by that authority. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by radio equipment which they have placed on the market.

Article 11 Authorised representatives

1. A manufacturer may, by a written mandate, appoint an authorised representative.

The obligations laid down in Article 10(1) and the obligation to draw up technical documentation laid down in Article 10(3) shall not form part of the authorised representative's mandate.

2. An authorised representative shall perform the tasks specified in the mandate received from the manufacturer. The mandate shall allow the authorised representative to do at least the following:

(a) keep the EU declaration of conformity and the technical documentation at the disposal of national market surveillance authorities for 10 years after the radio equipment has been placed on the market;

(b) further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of radio equipment;

(c) cooperate with the competent national authorities, at their request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by radio equipment covered by the authorised representative's mandate.

Article 12 Obligations of importers

1. Importers shall place only compliant radio equipment on the market.

2. Before placing radio equipment on the market importers shall ensure that the appropriate conformity assessment procedure referred to in Article 17 has been carried out by the manufacturer and that the radio equipment is so constructed that it can be operated in at least one Member State without infringing applicable requirements on the use of radio spectrum. They shall ensure that the manufacturer has drawn up the technical documentation, that the radio equipment bears the CE marking and is accompanied by the information and documents referred to in Article 10(8), (9) and (10), and that the manufacturer has complied with the requirements set out in Article 10(6) and (7).

Where an importer considers or has reason to believe that radio equipment is not in conformity with the essential requirements set out in Article 3, he shall not place the radio equipment on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the radio equipment presents a risk, the importer shall inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities to that effect.

3. Importers shall indicate on the radio equipment their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and the postal address at which they can be contacted or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the radio equipment. This includes cases where the size of radio equipment does not allow it, or where importers would have to open the packaging in order to indicate their name and address on the radio equipment. The contact details shall be in a language easily understood by end-users and market surveillance authorities.

4. Importers shall ensure that the radio equipment is accompanied by instructions and safety information in a language which can be easily understood by consumers and other end-users, as determined by the Member State concerned.

5. Importers shall ensure that, while radio equipment is under their responsibility, its storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its compliance with the essential requirements set out in Article 3.

6. When deemed appropriate with regard to the risks presented by radio equipment, importers shall, to protect the health and safety of end-users, carry out sample testing of radio equipment made available on the market, investigate, and, if necessary, keep a register of complaints, of non-conforming radio equipment and radio equipment recalls, and shall keep distributors informed of any such monitoring.

7. Importers who consider or have reason to believe that radio equipment which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this Directive shall immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring that radio equipment into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, if appropriate. Furthermore, where the radio equipment presents a risk, importers shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the radio equipment available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-compliance and of any corrective measures taken.

8. Importers shall, for 10 years after the radio equipment has been placed on the market, keep a copy of the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities and ensure that the technical documentation can be made available to those authorities, upon request.

9. Importers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide it with all the information and documentation in paper or electronic form necessary to demonstrate the conformity of radio equipment in a language which can be easily understood by that authority. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by radio equipment which they have placed on the market.

Article 13 Obligations of distributors

1. When making radio equipment available on the market distributors shall act with due care in relation to the requirements of this Directive.

2. Before making radio equipment available on the market distributors shall verify that the radio equipment bears the CE marking, that it is accompanied by the documents required by this Directive and by the instructions and safety information in a language which can be easily understood by consumers and other end-users in the Member State in which the radio equipment is to be made available on the market, and that the manufacturer and the importer have complied with the requirements set out in Article 10(2) and (6) to (10) and Article 12(3) respectively.

Where a distributor considers or has reason to believe that radio equipment is not in conformity with the essential requirements set out in Article 3, he shall not make the radio equipment available on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the radio equipment presents a risk, the distributor shall inform the manufacturer or the importer to that effect as well as the market surveillance authorities.

3. Distributors shall ensure that, while radio equipment is under their responsibility, its storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its compliance with the essential requirements set out in Article 3.

4. Distributors who consider or have reason to believe that radio equipment which they have made available on the market is not in conformity with this Directive shall make sure that the corrective measures necessary to bring that radio equipment into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, if appropriate, are taken. Furthermore, where the radio equipment presents a risk, distributors shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the radio equipment available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-compliance and of any corrective measures taken.

5. Distributors shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide it with all the information and documentation in paper or electronic form necessary to demonstrate the conformity of radio equipment. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by radio equipment which they have made available on the market.

Article 14 Cases in which obligations of manufacturers apply to importers and distributors

An importer or distributor shall be considered a manufacturer for the purposes of this Directive and he shall be subject to the obligations of the manufacturer under Article 10, where he places radio equipment on the market under his name or trade mark or modifies radio equipment already placed on the market in such a way that compliance with this Directive may be affected.

Article 15 Identification of economic operators

Economic operators shall, on request, identify the following to the market surveillance authorities:

(a)

any economic operator who has supplied them with radio equipment;

(b)

any economic operator to whom they have supplied radio equipment.

Economic operators shall be able to present the information referred to in the first paragraph for 10 years after they have been supplied with the radio equipment and for 10 years after they have supplied the radio equipment.