Users of radiocommunications equipment better informed

If you place radiocommunications equipment which does not use frequencies harmonised at the European level on the market, you must ensure that the user has the necessary information on the conditions of use. From 9 August, 2018, manufacturers must specify on the packaging the countries for which a restriction on use exists. The nature of the restriction must be included in the instructions.

Equipment which uses frequencies which are not harmonised in Europe may cause interference, for example because it operates on frequencies which are reserved for other uses in the country or because a licence is required in order to use it. With the entry into force of an amendment to the OFCOM ordinance on telecommunications installations, manufacturers must affix new details on the packaging of radiocommunications equipment which they wish to place on the market in Switzerland. In particular, they must indicate on the packaging the countries in which use of the equipment concerned is prohibited or subject to obtaining a licence or to other restrictions. The nature of the national restrictions, for their part, must be included in the instructions.

The information will relate to the situation in force in all the Member States of the European Union, the countries of the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

Information in the form of text or an image

The particulars of the restrictions related to the use of the radiocommunications equipment on the packaging vary depending on the equipment's target market.

  • For products which bear the CE mark and which are therefore intended for the market of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, the manufacturer may
    • - affix the text "restrictions or requirements in…" followed by a list of the countries concerned in all languages, or
    • - use the symbol
Symbol 1

supplemented by a list of the abbreviations of the countries in which there is a restriction. For example, on equipment subject to restrictions in Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Germany, the marking will be

Symbol 2
  • For products which bear the CH mark and which are therefore intended exclusively for the Swiss market, the manufacturer may:
    • - affix the text "restrictions on operation in CH" in the language of the sales location (in both languages in the bilingual regions), or
    • - use the symbol:
Symbol 3

In all cases, the information on the packaging must be detailed in the instructions, which should provide, in a language and wording comprehensible to the user, detailed explanations on the restrictions.

It is possible to consult the list of harmonised radiocommunications equipment at the following internet address: http://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/26843.

It should be noted that in order to be placed on the Swiss market, equipment bearing a CE mark must be able to be used in one of the Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland. If it bears only a CH mark, it must be able to be used in Switzerland.

Specialist staff
Last modification 09.08.2018

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