Data & Privacy
- Data Act
- Data Governance Act
- ePrivacy Directive
- GDPR
AI & Trust
- Artificial Intelligence Act
- Product Liability Directive
Cybersecurity
- Cyber Resilience Act
- Cybersecurity Act
- DORA
- NIS2
Digital Services & Media
- Digital Markets Act
- Digital Services Act
- European Media Freedom Act
Cyber Resilience Act
- Recitals
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONSArticles 1 — 12
CHAPTER II
OBLIGATIONS OF ECONOMIC OPERATORS AND PROVISIONS IN RELATION TO FREE AND OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWAREArticles 13 — 26
CHAPTER III
CONFORMITY OF THE PRODUCT WITH DIGITAL ELEMENTSArticles 27 — 34
CHAPTER IV
NOTIFICATION OF CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BODIESArticles 35 — 51
CHAPTER V
MARKET SURVEILLANCE AND ENFORCEMENTArticles 52 — 60
CHAPTER VI
DELEGATED POWERS AND COMMITTEE PROCEDUREArticles 61 — 62
CHAPTER VII
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PENALTIESArticles 63 — 65
CHAPTER VIII
TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONSArticles 66 — 71
ANNEXES
CRA Article 13. Obligations of manufacturers
- 1.When placing a product with digital elements on the market, manufacturers shall ensure that it has been designed, developed and produced in accordance with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in Part I of Annex I.
- 2.For the purpose of complying with paragraph 1, manufacturers shall undertake an assessment of the cybersecurity risks associated with a product with digital elements and take the outcome of that assessment into account during the planning, design, development, production, delivery and maintenance phases of the product with digital elements with a view to minimising cybersecurity risks, preventing incidents and minimising their impact, including in relation to the health and safety of users.
- 3.The cybersecurity risk assessment shall be documented and updated as appropriate during a support period to be determined in accordance with paragraph 8 of this Article. That cybersecurity risk assessment shall comprise at least an analysis of cybersecurity risks based on the intended purpose and reasonably foreseeable use, as well as the conditions of use, of the product with digital elements, such as the operational environment or the assets to be protected, taking into account the length of time the product is expected to be in use. The cybersecurity risk assessment shall indicate whether and, if so in what manner, the security requirements set out in Part I, point (2), of Annex I are applicable to the relevant product with digital elements and how those requirements are implemented as informed by the cybersecurity risk assessment. It shall also indicate how the manufacturer is to apply Part I, point (1), of Annex I and the vulnerability handling requirements set out in Part II of Annex I.
- 4.When placing a product with digital elements on the market, the manufacturer shall include the cybersecurity risk assessment referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article in the technical documentation required pursuant to Article 31 and Annex VII. For products with digital elements as referred to in Article 12, which are also subject to other Union legal acts, the cybersecurity risk assessment may be part of the risk assessment required by those Union legal acts. Where certain essential cybersecurity requirements are not applicable to the product with digital elements, the manufacturer shall include a clear justification to that effect in that technical documentation.
- 5.For the purpose of complying with paragraph 1, manufacturers shall exercise due diligence when integrating components sourced from third parties so that those components do not compromise the cybersecurity of the product with digital elements, including when integrating components of free and open-source software that have not been made available on the market in the course of a commercial activity.
- 6.Manufacturers shall, upon identifying a vulnerability in a component, including in an open source-component, which is integrated in the product with digital elements report the vulnerability to the person or entity manufacturing or maintaining the component, and address and remediate the vulnerability in accordance with the vulnerability handling requirements set out in Part II of Annex I. Where manufacturers have developed a software or hardware modification to address the vulnerability in that component, they shall share the relevant code or documentation with the person or entity manufacturing or maintaining the component, where appropriate in a machine-readable format.
- 7.The manufacturers shall systematically document, in a manner that is proportionate to the nature and the cybersecurity risks, relevant cybersecurity aspects concerning the products with digital elements, including vulnerabilities of which they become aware and any relevant information provided by third parties, and shall, where applicable, update the cybersecurity risk assessment of the products.
- 8.Manufacturers shall ensure, when placing a product with digital elements on the market, and for the support period, that vulnerabilities of that product, including its components, are handled effectively and in accordance with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in Part II of Annex I. Manufacturers shall determine the support period so that it reflects the length of time during which the product is expected to be in use, taking into account, in particular, reasonable user expectations, the nature of the product, including its intended purpose, as well as relevant Union law determining the lifetime of products with digital elements. When determining the support period, manufacturers may also take into account the support periods of products with digital elements offering a similar functionality placed on the market by other manufacturers, the availability of the operating environment, the support periods of integrated components that provide core functions and are sourced from third parties as well as relevant guidance provided by the dedicated administrative cooperation group (ADCO) established pursuant to Article 52(15) and the Commission. The matters to be taken into account in order to determine the support period shall be considered in a manner that ensures proportionality. Without prejudice to the second subparagraph, the support period shall be at least five years. Where the product with digital elements is expected to be in use for less than five years, the support period shall correspond to the expected use time. Taking into account ADCO recommendations as referred to in Article 52(16), the Commission may adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 61 to supplement this Regulation by specifying the minimum support period for specific product categories where the market surveillance data suggests inadequate support periods. Manufacturers shall include the information that was taken into account to determine the support period of a product with digital elements in the technical documentation as set out in Annex VII. Manufacturers shall have appropriate policies and procedures, including coordinated vulnerability disclosure policies, referred to in Part II, point (5), of Annex I to process and remediate potential vulnerabilities in the product with digital elements reported from internal or external sources.
- 9.Manufacturers shall ensure that each security update, as referred to in Part II, point (8), of Annex I, which has been made available to users during the support period, remains available after it has been issued for a minimum of 10 years or for the remainder of the support period, whichever is longer.
- 10.Where a manufacturer has placed subsequent substantially modified versions of a software product on the market, that manufacturer may ensure compliance with the essential cybersecurity requirement set out in Part II, point (2), of Annex I only for the version that it has last placed on the market, provided that the users of the versions that were previously placed on the market have access to the version last placed on the market free of charge and do not incur additional costs to adjust the hardware and software environment in which they use the original version of that product.
- 11.Manufacturers may maintain public software archives enhancing user access to historical versions. In those cases, users shall be clearly informed in an easily accessible manner about risks associated with using unsupported software.
- 12.Before placing a product with digital elements on the market, manufacturers shall draw up the technical documentation referred to in Article 31. They shall carry out the chosen conformity assessment procedures as referred to in Article 32 or have them carried out. Where compliance of the product with digital elements with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in Part I of Annex I and of the processes put in place by the manufacturer with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in Part II of Annex I has been demonstrated by that conformity assessment procedure, manufacturers shall draw up the EU declaration of conformity in accordance with Article 28 and affix the CE marking in accordance with Article 30.
- 13.Manufacturers shall keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities for at least 10 years after the product with digital elements has been placed on the market or for the support period, whichever is longer.
- 14.Manufacturers shall ensure that procedures are in place for products with digital elements that are part of a series of production to remain in conformity with this Regulation. Manufacturers shall adequately take into account changes in the development and production process or in the design or characteristics of the product with digital elements and changes in the harmonised standards, European cybersecurity certification schemes or common specifications as referred to in Article 27 by reference to which the conformity of the product with digital elements is declared or by application of which its conformity is verified.
- 15.Manufacturers shall ensure that their products with digital elements bear a type, batch or serial number or other element allowing their identification, or, where that is not possible, that that information is provided on their packaging or in a document accompanying the product with digital elements.
- 16.Manufacturers shall indicate the name, registered trade name or registered trademark of the manufacturer, and the postal address, email address or other digital contact details, as well as, where applicable, the website where the manufacturer can be contacted, on the product with digital elements, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the product with digital elements. That information shall also be included in the information and instructions to the user set out in Annex II. The contact details shall be in a language which can be easily understood by users and market surveillance authorities.
- 17.For the purposes of this Regulation, manufacturers shall designate a single point of contact to enable users to communicate directly and rapidly with them, including in order to facilitate reporting on vulnerabilities of the product with digital elements. Manufacturers shall ensure that the single point of contact is easily identifiable by the users. They shall also include the single point of contact in the information and instructions to the user set out in Annex II. The single point of contact shall allow users to choose their preferred means of communication and shall not limit such means to automated tools.
- 18.Manufacturers shall ensure that products with digital elements are accompanied by the information and instructions to the user set out in Annex II, in paper or electronic form. Such information and instructions shall be provided in a language which can be easily understood by users and market surveillance authorities. They shall be clear, understandable, intelligible and legible. They shall allow for the secure installation, operation and use of products with digital elements. Manufacturers shall keep the information and instructions to the user set out in Annex II at the disposal of users and market surveillance authorities for at least 10 years after the product with digital elements has been placed on the market or for the support period, whichever is longer. Where such information and instructions are provided online, manufacturers shall ensure that they are accessible, user-friendly and available online for at least 10 years after the product with digital elements has been placed on the market or for the support period, whichever is longer.
- 19.Manufacturers shall ensure that the end date of the support period referred to in paragraph 8, including at least the month and the year, is clearly and understandably specified at the time of purchase in an easily accessible manner and, where applicable, on the product with digital elements, its packaging or by digital means. Where technically feasible in light of the nature of the product with digital elements, manufacturers shall display a notification to users informing them that their product with digital elements has reached the end of its support period.
- 20.Manufacturers shall either provide a copy of the EU declaration of conformity or a simplified EU declaration of conformity with the product with digital elements. Where a simplified EU declaration of conformity is provided, it shall contain the exact internet address at which the full EU declaration of conformity can be accessed.
- 21.From the placing on the market and for the support period, manufacturers who know or have reason to believe that the product with digital elements or the processes put in place by the manufacturer are not in conformity with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in Annex I shall immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring that product with digital elements or the manufacturer’s processes into conformity, or to withdraw or recall the product, as appropriate.
- 22.Manufacturers shall, upon a reasoned request from a market surveillance authority, provide that authority, in a language which can be easily understood by that authority, with all the information and documentation, in paper or electronic form, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the product with digital elements and of the processes put in place by the manufacturer with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in Annex I. Manufacturers shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any measures taken to eliminate the cybersecurity risks posed by the product with digital elements which they have placed on the market.
- 23.A manufacturer that ceases its operations and, as a result, is not able to comply with this Regulation shall inform, before the cessation of operations takes effect, the relevant market surveillance authorities as well as, by any means available and to the extent possible, the users of the relevant products with digital elements placed on the market, of the impending cessation of operations.
- 24.The Commission may, by means of implementing acts taking into account European or international standards and best practices, specify the format and elements of the software bill of materials referred to in Part II, point (1), of Annex I. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 62(2).
- 25.In order to assess the dependence of Member States and of the Union as a whole on software components and in particular on components qualifying as free and open-source software, ADCO may decide to conduct a Union wide dependency assessment for specific categories of products with digital elements. For that purpose, market surveillance authorities may request manufacturers of such categories of products with digital elements to provide the relevant software bills of materials as referred to in Part II, point (1), of Annex I. On the basis of such information, the market surveillance authorities may provide ADCO with anonymised and aggregated information about software dependencies. ADCO shall submit a report on the results of the dependency assessment to the Cooperation Group established pursuant to Article 14 of Directive (EU) 2022/2555.
Relevant Recitals for this Article
In order to support and facilitate the due diligence of manufacturers that integrate free and open-source software components that are not subject to the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in this Regulation into their products with digital elements, the Commission should be able to establish voluntary security attestation programmes, either by a delegated act supplementing this Regulation or by requesting a European cybersecurity certification scheme pursuant to Article 48 of Regulation (EU) 2019/881 that takes into account the specificities of the free and open-source software development models. The security attestation programmes should be conceived in such a way that not only natural or legal persons developing or contributing to the development of a product with digital elements qualifying as free and open-source software can initiate or finance a security attestation but also third parties, such as manufacturers that integrate such products into their own products with digital elements, users, or Union and national public administrations.
In view of the public cybersecurity objectives of this Regulation and in order to improve the situational awareness of Member States as regards the Union’s dependency on software components and in particular on potentially free and open-source software components, a dedicated administrative cooperation group (ADCO) established by this Regulation should be able to decide to jointly undertake a Union dependency assessment. Market surveillance authorities should be able to request manufacturers of categories of products with digital elements established by ADCO to submit the software bills of materials (SBOMs) that they have generated pursuant to this Regulation. In order to protect the confidentiality of SBOMs, market surveillance authorities should submit relevant information about dependencies to ADCO in an anonymised and aggregated manner.
Directive (EU) 2024/2853 of the European Parliament and of the Council is complementary to this Regulation. That Directive sets out liability rules for defective products so that injured persons can claim compensation when a damage has been caused by defective products. It establishes the principle that the manufacturer of a product is liable for damages caused by a lack of safety in their product irrespective of fault (strict liability). Where such a lack of safety consists in a lack of security updates after the placing on the market of the product, and this causes damage, the liability of the manufacturer could be triggered. Obligations for manufacturers that concern the provision of such security updates should be laid down in this Regulation.
When integrating components sourced from third parties in products with digital elements during the design and development phase, manufacturers should, in order to ensure that the products are designed, developed and produced in accordance with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in this Regulation, exercise due diligence with regard to those components, including free and open-source software components that have not been made available on the market. The appropriate level of due diligence depends on the nature and the level of cybersecurity risk associated with a given component, and should, for that purpose, take into account one or more of the following actions: verifying, as applicable, that the manufacturer of a component has demonstrated conformity with this Regulation, including by checking if the component already bears the CE marking; verifying that a component receives regular security updates, such as by checking its security updates history; verifying that a component is free from vulnerabilities registered in the European vulnerability database established pursuant to Article 12(2) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555 or other publicly accessible vulnerability databases; or carrying out additional security tests. The vulnerability handling obligations set out in this Regulation, which manufacturers have to comply with when placing a product with digital elements on the market and for the support period, apply to products with digital elements in their entirety, including to all integrated components. Where, in the exercise of due diligence, the manufacturer of the product with digital elements identifies a vulnerability in a component, including in a free and open-source component, it should inform the person or entity manufacturing or maintaining the component, address and remediate the vulnerability, and, where applicable, provide the person or entity with the applied security fix.
Immediately after the transitional period for the application of this Regulation, a manufacturer of a product with digital elements that integrates one or several components sourced from third parties which are also subject to this Regulation may not be able to verify, as part of its due diligence obligation, that the manufacturers of those components have demonstrated conformity with this Regulation by checking, for instance, if the components already bear the CE marking. This may be the case where the components have been integrated before this Regulation becomes applicable to the manufacturers of those components. In such a case, a manufacturer integrating such components should exercise due diligence through other means.
Manufacturers of products falling within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 of the European Parliament and of the Council which are also products with digital elements as defined in this Regulation should comply with both the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in this Regulation and the essential health and safety requirements set out in Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. The essential cybersecurity requirements set out in this Regulation and certain essential requirements set out in Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 might address similar cybersecurity risks. Therefore, the compliance with the essential cybersecurity requirements set out in this Regulation could facilitate the compliance with the essential requirements that also cover certain cybersecurity risks as set out in Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, and in particular those regarding the protection against corruption and safety and reliability of control systems set out in sections 1.1.9 and 1.2.1 of Annex III to that Regulation. Such synergies have to be demonstrated by the manufacturer, for instance by applying, where available, harmonised standards or other technical specifications covering relevant essential cybersecurity requirements following a risk assessment covering those cybersecurity risks. The manufacturer should also follow the applicable conformity assessment procedures set out in this Regulation and in Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. The Commission and the European standardisation organisations, in the preparatory work supporting the implementation of this Regulation and of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 and the related standardisation processes, should promote consistency in how the cybersecurity risks are to be assessed and in how those risks are to be covered by harmonised standards with regard to the relevant essential requirements. In particular, the Commission and the European standardisation organisations should take into account this Regulation in the preparation and development of harmonised standards to facilitate the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 as regards in particular the cybersecurity aspects related to the protection against corruption and safety and reliability of control systems set out in sections 1.1.9 and 1.2.1 of Annex III to that Regulation. The Commission should provide guidance to support manufacturers subject to this Regulation that are also subject to Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, in particular to facilitate the demonstration of compliance with relevant essential requirements set out in this Regulation and in Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.
In order to ensure that products with digital elements are secure both at the time of their placing on the market as well as during the time the product with digital elements is expected to be in use, it is necessary to lay down essential cybersecurity requirements for vulnerability handling and essential cybersecurity requirements relating to the properties of products with digital elements. While manufacturers should comply with all essential cybersecurity requirements related to vulnerability handling throughout the support period, they should determine which other essential cybersecurity requirements related to the product properties are relevant for the type of product with digital elements concerned. For that purpose, manufacturers should undertake an assessment of the cybersecurity risks associated with a product with digital elements to identify relevant risks and relevant essential cybersecurity requirements in order to make available their products with digital elements without known exploitable vulnerabilities that might have an impact on the security of those products and to appropriately apply suitable harmonised standards, common specifications or European or international standards.
Where certain essential cybersecurity requirements are not applicable to a product with digital elements, the manufacturer should include a clear justification in the cybersecurity risk assessment included in the technical documentation. This could be the case where an essential cybersecurity requirement is incompatible with the nature of a product with digital elements. For example, the intended purpose of a product with digital elements may require the manufacturer to follow widely recognised interoperability standards even if its security features are no longer considered to be state of the art. Similarly, other Union law requires manufacturers to apply specific interoperability requirements. Where an essential cybersecurity requirement is not applicable to a product with digital elements, but the manufacturer has identified cybersecurity risks in relation to that essential cybersecurity requirement, it should take measures to address those risks by other means, for instance by limiting the intended purpose of the product to trusted environments or by informing the users about those risks.
One of the most important measures for users to take in order to protect their products with digital elements from cyberattacks is to install the latest available security updates as soon as possible. Manufacturers should therefore design their products and put in place processes to ensure that products with digital elements include functions that enable the notification, distribution, download and installation of security updates automatically, in particular in the case of consumer products. They should also provide the possibility to approve the download and installation of the security updates as a final step. Users should retain the ability to deactivate automatic updates, with a clear and easy-to-use mechanism, supported by clear instructions on how users can opt out. The requirements relating to automatic updates as set out in an annex to this Regulation are not applicable to products with digital elements primarily intended to be integrated as components into other products. They also do not apply to products with digital elements for which users would not reasonably expect automatic updates, including products with digital elements intended to be used in professional ICT networks, and especially in critical and industrial environments where an automatic update could cause interference with operations. Irrespective of whether a product with digital elements is designed to receive automatic updates or not, its manufacturer should inform users about vulnerabilities and make security updates available without delay. Where a product with digital elements has a user interface or similar technical means allowing direct interaction with its users, the manufacturer should make use of such features to inform users that their product with digital elements has reached the end of the support period. Notifications should be limited to what is necessary in order to ensure the effective reception of this information and should not have a negative impact on the user experience of the product with digital elements.
To improve the transparency of vulnerability handling processes and to ensure that users are not required to install new functionality updates for the sole purpose of receiving the latest security updates, manufacturers should ensure, where technically feasible, that new security updates are provided separately from functionality updates.
For the purpose of ensuring the security of products with digital elements after their placing on the market, manufacturers should determine the support period, which should reflect the time the product with digital elements is expected to be in use. In determining a support period, a manufacturer should take into account in particular reasonable user expectations, the nature of the product, as well as relevant Union law determining the lifetime of products with digital elements. Manufacturers should also be able to take into account other relevant factors. Criteria should be applied in a manner that ensures proportionality in the determination of the support period. Upon request, a manufacturer should provide market surveillance authorities with the information that was taken into account to determine the support period of a product with digital elements.
The support period for which the manufacturer ensures the effective handling of vulnerabilities should be no less than five years, unless the lifetime of the product with digital elements is less than five years, in which case the manufacturer should ensure the vulnerability handling for that lifetime. Where the time the product with digital elements is reasonably expected to be in use is longer than five years, as is often the case for hardware components such as motherboards or microprocessors, network devices such as routers, modems or switches, as well as software, such as operating systems or video-editing tools, manufacturers should accordingly ensure longer support periods. In particular, products with digital elements intended for use in industrial settings, such as industrial control systems, are often in use for significantly longer periods of time. A manufacturer should be able to define a support period of less than five years only where this is justified by the nature of the product with digital elements concerned and where that product is expected to be in use for less than five years, in which case the support period should correspond to the expected use time. For instance, the lifetime of a contact tracing application intended for use during a pandemic could be limited to the duration of the pandemic. Moreover, some software applications can by nature only be made available on the basis of a subscription model, in particular where the application becomes unavailable to the user and is consequently not in use anymore once the subscription expires.
When products with digital elements reach the end of their support periods, in order to ensure that vulnerabilities can be handled after the end of the support period, manufacturers should consider releasing the source code of such products with digital elements either to other undertakings which commit to extending the provision of vulnerability handling services or to the public. Where manufacturers release the source code to other undertakings, they should be able to protect the ownership of the product with digital elements and prevent the dissemination of the source code to the public, for example through contractual arrangements.
In order to ensure that manufacturers across the Union determine similar support periods for comparable products with digital elements, ADCO should publish statistics on the average support periods determined by manufacturers for categories of products with digital elements and issue guidance indicating appropriate support periods for such categories. In addition, with a view to ensuring a harmonised approach across the internal market, the Commission should be able to adopt delegated acts to specify minimum support periods for specific product categories where the data provided by market surveillance authorities suggests that the support periods determined by manufacturers are either systematically not in line with the criteria for determining the support periods as laid down in this Regulation or that manufacturers in different Member States unjustifiably determine different support periods.
Manufacturers should set up a single point of contact that enables users to communicate easily with them, including for the purpose of reporting on and receiving information about the vulnerabilities of the product with digital element. They should make the single point of contact easily accessible for users and clearly indicate its availability, keeping this information up to date. Where manufacturers choose to offer automated tools, e.g. chat boxes, they should also offer a phone number or other digital means of contact, such as an email address or a contact form. The single point of contact should not rely exclusively on automated tools.
Manufacturers should make their products with digital elements available on the market with a secure by default configuration and provide security updates to users free of charge. Manufacturers should only be able to deviate from the essential cybersecurity requirements in relation to tailor-made products that are fitted to a particular purpose for a particular business user and where both the manufacturer and the user have explicitly agreed to a different set of contractual terms.
Manufacturers of products with digital elements should put in place coordinated vulnerability disclosure policies to facilitate the reporting of vulnerabilities by individuals or entities either directly to the manufacturer or indirectly, and where requested anonymously, via CSIRTs designated as coordinators for the purposes of coordinated vulnerability disclosure in accordance with Article 12(1) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555. Manufacturers’ coordinated vulnerability disclosure policy should specify a structured process through which vulnerabilities are reported to a manufacturer in a manner allowing the manufacturer to diagnose and remedy such vulnerabilities before detailed vulnerability information is disclosed to third parties or to the public. Moreover, manufacturers should also consider publishing their security policies in machine-readable format. Given the fact that information about exploitable vulnerabilities in widely used products with digital elements can be sold at high prices on the black market, manufacturers of such products should be able to use programmes, as part of their coordinated vulnerability disclosure policies, to incentivise the reporting of vulnerabilities by ensuring that individuals or entities receive recognition and compensation for their efforts. This refers to so-called ‘bug bounty programmes’.
In order to facilitate vulnerability analysis, manufacturers should identify and document components contained in the products with digital elements, including by drawing up an SBOM. An SBOM can provide those who manufacture, purchase, and operate software with information that enhances their understanding of the supply chain, which has multiple benefits, in particular it helps manufacturers and users to track known newly emerged vulnerabilities and cybersecurity risks. It is of particular importance that manufacturers ensure that their products with digital elements do not contain vulnerable components developed by third parties. Manufacturers should not be obliged to make the SBOM public.