European Commission: A process locked in for the benefit of the telephony industry

European Commission: A process locked in for the benefit of the telephony industry
By : Phonegate Team • 28 May 2025

At midnight on May 27, 2025, the European Commission closed its call for contributions on the activation of rules for reconfigurable radioelectric equipment, which aims to ensure that software updates do not compromise the safety and compliance of devices throughout their lifecycle. This consultation is part of the RED Directive (2014/53/EU), which regulates the marketing of radioelectric equipment in Europe.

A major issue for 450 million Europeans

With the proliferation of software capable of remotely modifying radio parameters (transmit power, frequencies used), a device that is compliant when first placed on the market can become non-compliant, or even dangerous, after a manufacturer’s update. This can lead, for example, to increased exposure to radiofrequency radiation (measured by the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)), or to interference with other essential services.

The aim of the consultation is therefore to propose the activation of different levels of legal provisions (from 0 to 4) to provide a more or less strict framework for these updates, in order to guarantee consumer health and safety.

76% of contributions come from industry stakeholders vs. 24% from civil society

Of the 34 contributions received, the vast majority come from industry stakeholders, who are in favor of the status quo (option 0) or simple self-regulation (option 1), citing economic arguments and the need to preserve innovation.

On the other hand, consumer associations, national authorities and NGOs, including Phonegate Alert, are calling for tighter regulation (options 2 to 4) to prevent the abuses observed, notably the practice of bypassing SAR tests via embedded software.

Continue reading:
https://phonegatealert.org/en/european-commission-a-process-locked-in-for-benefit-telephony-industry/