What can we expect from cybersecurity, EN18031, CRA and DPP in 2025

In 2024, important decisions on cybersecurity will have been made. However, the first requirements will not be mandatory until August 2025. The extension of RED is the first step and its requirements will be mandatory from August 2025. Unfortunately, the standards in the EN18031 series developed by CEN/CENLEC have not yet been published as harmonized standards in the Official Journal.

The EU intends to make a decision on this in the near future. So far, product manufacturers of Internet-enabled wireless devices have only the option of certifying CE conformity with the help of Notified Bodies. From the industry's point of view, it is more than desirable that a self-declaration option is also created for the majority of the radio components concerned by the binding deadline of August 1, 2025.

You can find out more about this topic in an interview that Think WIoT did with me.

Since December 2024, with the publication of the Cyber Resilience Act, the deadlines are also running here. As of December 2027, manufacturers and distributors must comply with all requirements. However, manufacturers of products with digital elements will have to meet their first obligations as early as September 2026. Manufacturers are therefore well advised to familiarize themselves with the requirements in 2025.

Of course, the necessary standardization is already in full swing. CEN/CENLEC and ETSI are working intensively on the dissemination of horizontal and vertical standards. Due to the deadlines to be met, there are only a few months left to prepare the documents.

The digital product passport is also on the horizon, even though it will not be introduced until 2026/2027. Standardization is also underway on this topic and is attracting a great deal of interest from industry representatives. The drive to promote the circular economy will affect many sectors and products. In addition, mandatory product labeling will create a new opportunity to provide end-users with product-related data.

It remains to be seen whether the original motivation of the circular economy and the improvement of environmental performance, e.g. by identifying and minimizing the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), will remain at the forefront of implementation.

Would you like to know what the digital product passport and the expansion of the circular economy have to do with the European Green Deal? Then read the interview that Anja Van Bocxlaer from Think WIoT conducted with Stefan Hoppe from the OPC Foundation and me.