Reg (EU) 2024/2847Generate dossier — €149
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Article 13.8 of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 requires you to determine a support period during which you provide security updates for your product. The support period must reflect the expected time of use, considering user expectations and the nature of the product. Recital 59 references 5 years as a default where no shorter period is justified. You cannot sell a connected device to the EU market and stop patching it after 12 months. CRACheck documents your support period commitment as part of the 8-document Annex VII dossier.

The support period obligation transforms the economics of connected products. A Chinese manufacturer that ships a WiFi smart plug and never releases a firmware update is non-compliant from day one of enforcement. Article 13.8 requires a support period that reflects the expected time of use. Annex I Part II requires security updates to be provided without delay during that period. Annex II requires the support period to be communicated to users. The support period is documented in the Technical Documentation (Annex VII point 4) and the User Information (Annex II). CRACheck structures both. 15-25 minutes. €149 per product. Browser-side.

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Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 · Art. 13.8 + Annex VII · 8 documents · 100% browser-side

Key numbers

Art. 13.8
Manufacturer must determine and declare a support period reflecting expected time of use.
5 years
Recital 59 default. Where expected use is longer (industrial, infrastructure), longer support required.
Annex VII.4
Support period determination must be documented in the technical documentation.

How to define and document your CRA support period

The support period is not a warranty. It is a firmware update commitment backed by regulation.

1
Assess expected product lifetime
How long do users actually use your product? Smart plug: 3-5 years. Router: 5-7 years. Industrial gateway: 10-15 years. EV charger: 10-15 years.
2
Plan your firmware update infrastructure
OTA delivery, update testing pipeline, vulnerability monitoring, SBOM tracking. This must be operational for the entire support period.
3
Declare the support period
Choose a period consistent with expected use. Declaring 2 years for a product used 7 years is a compliance risk under Art. 13.8.
4
Document in CRACheck
The support period is captured in Doc 2 (Technical Documentation, Annex VII point 4), Doc 4 (User Information, Annex II) and Doc 8 (Obligations Calendar).
5
Communicate to users
Annex II requires informing users about the support period, including the end date. This must appear on packaging, in documentation or at the point of sale.
6
Plan for end-of-support
What happens when the support period ends? Inform users. Consider offering extended support as a commercial service.

The support period is not a warranty. It is a firmware update commitment backed by regulation.

Support period mistakes

ART. 13.8

We declare a 1-year support period to minimise our obligation

Article 13.8 of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 requires the support period to reflect "the time during which the product is expected to be in use, considering in particular reasonable user expectations, the nature of the product including its expected lifetime and other relevant factors." A 1-year support period for a product used 5 years is not consistent with user expectations. Market surveillance authorities may consider it non-compliant.

ANNEX I, PART II

We provide firmware updates when we have time — there is no timeline

Annex I Part II point 8 of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 requires security updates to be provided "without delay" and, where applicable, through automatic updates with opt-out. "Without delay" means as soon as a security patch is available and tested. Months-long delays between vulnerability discovery and patch release are non-compliant.

ANNEX II

Users do not need to know the support period — we just provide updates

Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 requires the manufacturer to inform users about the expected product lifetime during which security updates will be provided. This includes the end date of the support period. The information must be provided at the time the product is made available. Users have the right to know when security updates will stop.

What each CRACheck dossier contains: 8 documents

The support period obligation touches multiple CRA documents. CRACheck generates 8 PDFs that consistently document your support period across Technical Documentation, User Information and Obligations Calendar.

1

Product Classifier

Determines product category per Annex III. Defines conformity assessment route under Art. 32.

2

Technical Documentation

Complete technical documentation structured per Art. 31 and Annex VII. All 8 mandatory sections.

3

Risk Assessment

Cybersecurity risk assessment per Art. 13.2 and Art. 13.3. Mapped against Annex I Part I requirements.

4

User Information

Information and instructions per Annex II. Security properties, support period, vulnerability reporting.

5

Declaration of Conformity

EU declaration of conformity per Art. 28 and Annex V.

6

CVD Policy

Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure policy per Annex I Part II.

7

ENISA Notification Template

Pre-structured for 24h early warning, 72h notification, 14-day final report under Art. 14.

8

Obligations Calendar

Key dates: Art. 14 from 11 Sep 2026, full enforcement 11 Dec 2027, support period per Art. 13.8.

Mira antes de comprar — Descargar dossier de muestra (PDF, empresa ficticia) — Estructura real, artículos reales, formato real. Datos ficticios.

Generated in your browser. No product data is transmitted to any server.

What you pay for support period documentation

🧾 PRODUCT LIFECYCLE CONSULTANCY (SUPPORT PERIOD STRATEGY)
€10,000–€25,000
Per product family. Strategy + documentation. 2-4 months.
✓ CRACHECK
€149
8 documents with support period documented. 15 min. Strategy is yours.

Documentation vs. update delivery

● LAYER 1

What CRACheck does

Documents your support period declaration across Technical Documentation (Annex VII.4), User Information (Annex II) and Obligations Calendar. Consistent across all 8 documents.

∅ LAYER 2

What CRACheck does NOT do

CRACheck does not determine the optimal support period for your product. That is a business decision informed by expected product lifetime, user expectations and your firmware update capability. CRACheck documents whatever period you declare.

We document the commitment. You deliver the updates.

CRA penalty regime — Article 64 of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847

Article 64 establishes three tiers of administrative fines. Penalties are calculated per undertaking — but non-compliance on a single product can trigger inspection of your entire portfolio.

🇪🇺
Non-compliance with essential cybersecurity requirements (Annex I) and Art. 13/14 obligations
€15M / 2.5%

Art. 64.2. Up to €15 million or 2.5% of total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.

🇪🇺
Non-compliance with technical documentation (Art. 31), authorised representative (Art. 18), conformity assessment (Art. 32)
€10M / 2%

Art. 64.3. Up to €10 million or 2% of total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. Includes failure to produce Annex VII documentation.

🇪🇺
Supply of incorrect, incomplete or misleading information to authorities
€5M / 1%

Art. 64.4. Up to €5 million or 1% of total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.

Art. 64.5 accounts for the nature, gravity and duration of the infringement, and gives consideration to microenterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, including start-ups.

Alternatives

AlternativeCostWhat you get
Product lifecycle consultancy€10,000–€25,000Strategy + documentation. 2-4 months.
Declare minimum support period€0Risk of non-compliance under Art. 13.8 if inconsistent with expected use.
Do not declare any support period€0Non-compliant. Annex II requires disclosure.
CRACheck€1498 docs with support period documented. 15 min.

Multiple product lines with different expected lifetimes?

Consumer smart plug (3-5 years), industrial gateway (10+ years), router (5-7 years) — each needs its own support period declaration documented in its own CRA dossier. Volume pricing: €99/product (10-pack), €79/product (30-pack).

Request volume pricing
Response within one business day.

What CRACheck guarantees and what it does not

CRACheck generates a structured document according to Article 31 and Annex VII of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 from the information you provide. The accuracy, completeness and truthfulness of that information is your responsibility as the manufacturer.

We guarantee that the document structure follows Article 31 and Annex VII of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 and that the legal references cited are correct as of the last verification date. We do not guarantee that a specific document will be accepted by a market surveillance authority in a specific case or by a commercial buyer in a procurement process.

CRACheck is not legal advice. For specific situations, consult a lawyer or specialised regulatory consultancy.

Frequently asked questions

Is 5 years mandatory or just a guideline?
Recital 59 of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 states that the support period should be "at least five years" unless a shorter expected product lifetime is justified. This is not binding in the same way as the articles, but market surveillance authorities will use it as a reference. Declaring less than 5 years requires a documented justification based on the product's expected lifetime.
What happens after the support period ends?
After the support period, you are no longer obligated to provide security updates. However, Annex II requires you to inform users that support has ended. Continued sale of the product after the support period has expired may raise questions — users purchasing the product expect security updates, but none will be provided.
Can we extend the support period after initial declaration?
Yes. Extending the support period is a commercial decision that benefits users. The documentation should be updated to reflect the extension. CRACheck allows 10 regenerations per licence.
Can we charge for security updates after a free support period?
The CRA requires security updates to be provided during the support period. Annex I Part II point 8 requires updates to be provided "free of charge." Charging for security updates during the declared support period is non-compliant. After the support period, extended paid support is a commercial option.
Does the support period start at manufacture or at sale?
Art. 13.8 refers to the time during which the product "is expected to be in use." The practical start is when the product is placed on the market (first sale). For products that sit in inventory for months before sale, the support period should account for the expected shelf time.
Is this a subscription?
No. One-time payment. The licence includes 30 days of editing and 10 regenerations. The downloaded PDF is yours to keep.
Can I request a refund?
Pursuant to Art. 16(m) of Directive (EU) 2011/83 on consumer rights, by activating the licence you give express consent for the immediate generation of the digital content, waiving the 14-day withdrawal period. Refunds are accepted only for reproducible technical failures.
What if the regulation changes?
If the regulation changes during the validity of your licence, you can regenerate the document with the updated version of the generator at no additional cost.
⚠️ Important notice: CRACheck is a self-assessment documentation tool, not legal advice and not a third-party audit. The document under Article 31 and Annex VII of Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 is generated from your input data. You are responsible for the accuracy of the data you provide. CRACheck does not replace a qualified professional assessment.

The support period obligation changes your product lifecycle. Document your commitment now — 15 minutes, €149.

€149 one-time payment
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✓ Last regulatory check: 1 May 2026 · No substantive changes detected · View history