Radio equipment and telecommunication terminal equipment and mutual recognition of their conformity

OBJECTIVE: the purpose of the proposal for a Directive is to establish a Community legislative framework for the placing on the market, free circulation and putting into service of connected telecommunications equipment which complies with essential requirements. SUBSTANCE: the proposal represents a significant step forward in the legislative framework necessary to support a genuinely competitive multi-vendor Community market for connected telecommunications equipment. The proposed Directive replaces two Directives (91/263/EEC on telecommunications terminal equipment and 93/97/EEC on satellite earth station equipment) and simplifies two other Directives (93/68/EEC on conformity marking and 89/336/EEC on electromagnetic compatibility). It supplements horizontal Community legislation and is fully aligned with the Global Approach to testing and certification. As regards manufacturers' liability, provisions equivalent to those contained in Directive 85/374/EEC on liability for defective products are incorporated in order to cover telecommunications requirements so that the regulatory regime can be complemented by a balanced and harmonized surveillance regime. The major elements of the new Directive are: - enlargement of the scope of equipment covered by the inclusion of radio equipment; - a set of new definitions making the Directive future-proof by taking into account the liberalization of infrastructures and competition between operators; - a development of the concept of telecommunications-specific essential requirements to take into account technological trends; - a flexible decision-making process whereby future network infrastructures and systems can readily be covered; - a simplified conformity assessment regime based upon the principle of manufacturer's declarations. �