EU RoHS Directive
EU RoHS Directive is the EU law restricting hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, first adopted in 2003 and recast as Directive 2011/65/EU, which ties compliance to CE marking.
What it requires
Electrical and electronic equipment may not contain more than 0.1% by weight in any homogeneous material of lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE or four phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP), or more than 0.01% cadmium, unless an exemption applies. Manufacturers must hold technical documentation and a declaration of conformity and affix CE marking. Importers and distributors must check CE marking and documentation. Exemptions expire and are renewed by Commission delegated acts. Member States set penalties.
Why it matters
RoHS is one of the first compliance checks for any electronics sold into the EU, and the importer carries the risk if the manufacturer's paperwork is weak. Cheap cables, chargers and gadgets sourced from marketplaces are frequent failures in market surveillance testing. For example, an EU importer of USB chargers sold through its webshop should hold the manufacturer's RoHS declaration and test reports for each model, because authorities can order withdrawal from the market and fines, and the WEEE registration does not cover RoHS.
Related laws
Sources
- Directive 2011/65/EU (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
- European Commission: RoHS Directive environment.ec.europa.eu
Not legal advice.