Exporters of electronic or electrical products to the EU have to make sure that their products do not contain more dangerous substances than allowed according to EU legislation. The presence of these chemicals in the fast–growing amount of waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) cause severe environmental effects. To minimise these effects, the EU adopted legislation restricting the use of certain particular substances (the infamous RoHS Directive). EEE that does not comply with these legal requirements will not be allowed entry on the EU market.
This document provides an outline of the restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in EEE and their exemptions. Furthermore it provides information on an upcoming revision, which is expected to radically change the scope of the Directive.
The RoHS Directive is closely related to EU legislation on waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). For more information on this legislation, refer to the related document.
Publication date: April, 2010
