Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (recast)

Basic information on Directive 2011/65/EU:

RoHS restricts certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and in homogeneous materials used in such equipment.

Directive 2011/65/EU forms the legal core of the RoHS system in the EU. It has been further developed since 2011 through extensions to the list of substances (RoHS 3) and numerous delegated acts. In particular, the lists of exemptions (Annexes III/IV) are regularly reviewed and adapted to take account of technical developments, substitution possibilities and scientific findings.

 

Development stages

Period	Development
2002/2003	First RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC)
2011	Revision: 2011/65/EU (‘RoHS 2’) – binding throughout the EU with CE conformity requirements
2015	Extension of the list of substances (phthalates) by 2015/863 (‘RoHS 3’)
2012–2025	Numerous delegated directives on exemptions, time limits and technical adjustments (cadmium, lead, mercury, etc.)
2025/2026	Update and clear expiry dates for key lead exemptions in Annex III; the equipment category also plays a role in the exemptions

 

Due to the complex and continuously updated exemptions under the RoHS Directive, it is not possible to make a blanket assessment of materials containing lead.
The legally binding assessment of a product's RoHS compliance is the responsibility of the manufacturer or distributor of the respective end device and depends on its specific application and device category.