The European Union on January 27, 2003 officially announced the "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive" (WEEE 2002/96/EC) and "on the prohibition of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment directive" (RoHS-2002/95/EC). The Directive requires that from July 1, 2006, the sale of electrical and electronic equipment containing six hazardous substances: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) be banned in the EU market. So far, the EU*** has issued 29 exemption regulations.
2. RoHS Product Scope:
1). Large household appliances 2). Small household appliances
3). Information and communication equipment 4). Consumer equipment
5). Lighting equipment 6). Electronic and electrical tools (large stationary industrial equipment is exempted)
7). Toys, recreational and sports equipment 8). Medical devices (all implanted and infected products are exempt)
9). Monitoring and Control Instruments 10). Vending Machines
3. 6 Hazardous Chemical Substances Restricted by RoHS:
Substances Maximum Concentration Limit Values
Lead (Pb) 0.1% 1000ppm
Hg 0.1% 1000ppm
Cadmium (Cd) 0.01% 100ppm
Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) 0.01% 100ppm
Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) 0.1% 1000ppm
Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) 0.1% 1000ppm
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) 0.1% 1000ppm