The RoHS Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment

Entry into force

The requirements laid down in the RoHS 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.

The purpose of the Directive is

• to reduce the quantity and harmfulness of waste from electrical and electronic equipment
• protection of human health
• to contribute to the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Definition of electrical and electronic equipment

For the purposes of the RoHS Directive, electrical and electronic equipment denotes

• equipment referred to in the Finnish Government Decree on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (852/2004), Appendix 1, equipment categories 1—7 and 10, or a filament bulb, which
• 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 which
• is designed for use with a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V a.c. or 1,500 V d.c.
Scope of the Directive

The following products fall within the scope of the RoHS 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 Appendix 1 to the aforementioned Government Decree.
 

Forbidden hazardous substances

From 1 July 2006, any new electrical and electronic equipment brought into the market shall contain in homogeneous materials

• lead
• mercury
• hexavalent chromium
• polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)

not more than 0.1 % by weight, and
 
• cadmium
 
not more than of 0.01 % by weight.

Tukes

• Is attended to supervise the conformity of electrical and electronic equipment brought into the market in Finland. The supervision starts in 2006.
• Gives market surveillance information to the manufacturers, importers and retailers in cooperation 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).
• Collaborates with other market surveillance authorities in the EEA.
• Keeps an eye on the RoHS-related standardization.


Recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment, the WEEE Directive

Electrical and electronic equipment also falls within the scope of the WEEE Directive on the recycling of the equipment. The surveillance of this 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 Finnish Government Decree on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Vehicles (572/2003, as amended by the Decrees 745/2005 and 880/2005).

Contact persons

The RoHS Directive

Tukes (Safety Technology Authority):

• Marika Keskinen, Safety Engineer, tel. 010 6052 680

Ministry of the Environment (Finland):


The WEEE Directive

Pirkanmaa ELY-Centre
(Yliopistonkatu 38, PO-Box 297, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland):
• Teemu Virtanen, Senior Adviser, tel. 050 402 4207 

The Directive on End-of-life Vehicles

Ministry of the Environment (Finland):


Further information

• Finnish Government Decree on Limitation of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (853/2004) in Finnish

• Exceptions of the Use of Hazardous Substances, Amendment of Appendix to the Decree (853/2004) in Finnish

• Finnish Government Decree on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (852/2004) in Finnish

• Commission Decision 2005/618/EC of 18 August 2005 amending Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council for the purpose of establishing the maximum concentration values for certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment

• Commission Decision 2005/717/EC of 13 October 2005 amending, for the purposes of adapting to the technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment

• Commission Decision 2005/747/EC of 21 October 2005 amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment

• Commission Decision 2006/690/EC of 12 October 2006 amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards exemptions for applications of lead in crystal glass

• Commission Decision 2006/691/EC of 12 October 2006 amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards exemptions for applications of lead and cadmium

• Commission Decision 2006/692/EC of 12 October 2006 amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards exemptions for applications of hexavalent chromium

• Commission Decision 2008/385/EC of 21 January 2008 amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards exemptions for applications of lead and cadmium

• Commission Decision 2009/428/EC amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the exemption for an application of lead as impurity in RIG Faraday rotators used for fibre optic communication systems

• Commission Decision 2009/443/EC amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards exemptions for applications of lead, cadmium and mercury

• Finnish Government Decree on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Vehicles (572/2003), as amend in Finnish