The RoHS Directives on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
The Directives aim at protecting the environment and people's health, and contributing to the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
The RoHS 1 Directive 2002/95/EC
The requirements laid down in the RoHS 1 Directive apply from 1 July 2006 to new electrical and electronic equipment brought into the market of the European Economic Area. To bring into the market denotes the entry of a single product to the European Economic Area.
Definition of electrical and electronic equipment
For the purposes of the RoHS 1 Directive, electrical and electronic equipment denotes
- equipment referred to in the Government Decree on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (852/2004) of Finland, Appendix 1, equipment categories 1—7 and 10, or a filament bulb, and
- that is dependent on electric current or electromagnetic field in order to function properly or is intended for the generation, transfer or measurement of such currents or fields, and
- that is designed for use with a voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts AC or 1,500 volts DC.
Scope of the Directive
The following products fall within the scope of the RoHS 1 Directive:
• large household appliances
• small household appliances
• IT and telecommunications equipment
• consumer electronics
• lighting equipment, including luminaires in households and filament bulbs
• electrical and electronic tools
• toys, leisure and sports equipment
• automatic dispensers.
Examples of the above product categories are referred to in the Government Decree (852/2004) of Finland, Appendix 1.
Forbidden hazardous substances
From 1 July 2006, any new electrical and electronic equipment brought into the market shall not in any homogeneous material contain
• lead
• mercury
• hexavalent chromium
• polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)
more than 0.1 % by weight,
and not
• cadmium
more than of 0.01 % by weight.
The RoHS 2 Directive 2011/65/EU
The revised Directive was published on 1 July 2011 with entry into force on 22 July 2011. The member states shall implement the Directive within 18 months, the national legislation entering into force on 2 January 2013. Until that date, the Government Decree (853/2004) of Finland shall apply.
For the purposes of the RoHS 2 Directive, electrical and electronic equipment denotes
- equipment referred to in the Directive, Appendix 1, equipment categories 1—11, and
- that, to fulfil at least one intended function, is dependent on electric current or electromagnetic field in order to function properly or is intended for the generation, transfer or measurement of such currents or fields, and
- that is designed for use with a voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts AC or 1,500 volts DC.
The scope of the Directive is extended. Apart from the categories referred to in the RoHS 1 Directive, the scope now includes medical devices (category 8), monitoring and control instruments (category 9) and other equipment (category 11). The restrictions for the hazardous substances shall apply to the products brought into the market as of the following dates:
- medical devices — 22 July 2014
- in vitro diagnostic medical devices — 22 July 2016
- monitoring and control instruments — 22 July 2014
- industrial monitoring and control instruments — 22 July 2017
- other equipment — 22 July 2019.
Products that do not fall within the scope are now more precisely defined in the Directive.
What's new in the Directive
The Directive now contains lots of more precise definitions than before, as well as the instructions for the procedures to prove the conformity of electrical and electronic equipment. The text also includes the liabilities that apply to the manufacturer, the manufacturer's authorised representative, the importer and the distributor. Periods of validity for the exemptions and the rules for the continuation of them are also laid down.
Declaration of Conformity
The conformity of the product with the requirements of the RoHS Directive shall be proved in the future with the CE marking and the EU Declaration of Conformity. In addition, the manufacturer shall be liable to establish the relevant technical documentation.
Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes)
- Attended to supervise the conformity of electrical and electronic equipment brought into the market in Finland.
- Informs manufacturers, importers and retailers about the market surveillance in co-operation with the Ministry of the Environment of Finland.
- Keeps contact with the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre (Finland) in order to coordinate the analogous application of the Government Decrees 852/2004 (the WEEE Directive) and 853/2004 (the RoHS Directive) of Finland.
- Collaborates with other market surveillance authorities in the EEA.
- Keeps an eye on RoHS-related standardisation.
Recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment;
the WEEE Directive
Electrical and electronic equipment also falls within the scope of the WEEE Directive on recycling of the relevant equipment. The surveillance of the Directive in Finland is attended to by the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre.
Electrical and electronic equipment used in vehicles
Fixed electrical and electronic equipment primarily intended for vehicles falls within the scope of the Directive on End-of-life Vehicles (2000/53/EC) and the Government Decree on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Vehicles (572/2003) of Finland, as amended by Decrees 745/2005 and 880/2005.
Contact persons
The RoHS Directive
Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes):
- Tiia Salamäki, Senior Adviser, tel. 010 6052 632.
Ministry of the Environment (Finland); information on implementation of the Directive to national legislation:
- Else Peuranen, Senior Adviser, tel. 050 381 4359.
The WEEE Directive
Pirkanmaa ELY Centre
(Yliopistonkatu 38, P.O. Box 297, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland):
- Teemu Virtanen, Senior Adviser, tel. 050 402 4207.
Ministry of the Environment (Finland), information on implementation of the Directive to national legislation:
- Tarja-Riitta Blauberg, Senior Adviser, tel. 0400 143 917.
The Directive on End-of-life Vehicles
Ministry of the Environment (Finland):
- Tarja-Riitta Blauberg, Senior Adviser, tel. 0400 143 917.