The CRA EU declaration of conformity
One page, eight elements, signed by you. The EU declaration of conformity is the document in which you state, under your sole responsibility, that the product meets the Cyber Resilience Act. Annex V sets the required content. It must accompany the product or be made accessible, and it must be kept for ten years after placing on the market.
The eight Annex V elements
| # | Element | What trips people up |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name, type and any information enabling unique identification of the product | A marketing name is not identification. Include model, type and — for software — the version range the declaration covers. |
| 2 | Name and address of the manufacturer or authorised representative | A registered address, not a PO box or a reseller. |
| 3 | A statement that the declaration is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer | This wording is not decoration. It is the legal weight of the document. |
| 4 | Object of the declaration, allowing traceability — a photograph where appropriate | For hardware, include an image. It is what lets a customs officer match document to box. |
| 5 | A statement that the object is in conformity with the relevant Union harmonisation legislation | Cite the regulation by number. If other legislation also applies, list it all on one declaration. |
| 6 | References to harmonised standards, common specifications or certification applied | Cite the dated reference. "EN 18031" without a part number and date tells a reader nothing. |
| 7 | Where applicable, the notified body name and number, the procedure performed, and the certificate | Only if a notified body was involved. Naming one when none was used is a serious misstatement. |
| 8 | Place and date of issue, name, function and signature | A real person with authority to bind the company. Not "The Engineering Team". |
What the declaration is not
Practical rules
One declaration, all applicable legislation
If your product is also subject to the Radio Equipment Directive, EMC, RoHS or the Machinery Regulation, you produce a single EU declaration of conformity listing every applicable act. Do not issue one document per regulation — that is the pattern of a company that will eventually contradict itself.
Version control
Software changes. The declaration identifies the versions it covers. Decide early whether you declare per release, per minor version series or per product line, write the rule down in your technical documentation, and be consistent. Auditors notice inconsistency faster than they notice almost anything else.
Language
Translated into the language required by each Member State where the product is made available. For a product sold across the EU this is a real cost, and it is a reason to keep the declaration to a single page.
Availability
The declaration, or a simplified declaration with a URL where the full text is available, accompanies the product. A page on your website that reliably resolves and is not behind a login satisfies this — a link that rots does not.
Retention
Ten years after the product is placed on the market, or for the support period, whichever is longer. So does the technical documentation.
The CE marking connection
The CE marking is the visible claim; the declaration of conformity is the written one. You affix CE only once the declaration is drawn up. For products with digital elements the marking rules of Regulation (EC) 765/2008 apply — minimum 5mm height, legible, indelible, and where that is impossible on the product itself, on the packaging and in the accompanying documents. CE marking rules in detail →
Get told when the requirements change
None of the 35 CRA harmonised standards is published yet. When they land — and when deadlines move — we email you. No more than twice a month.