RoHS - the law in brief

1. The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2004 ("the RoHS Regulations") implement the provisions of the European Parliament and Council Directive on the Restrictions of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment ('the RoHS Directive' **).

2. The RoHS Regulations ban the placing on the EU market of new Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) containing more than the set levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium and both polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants from 1 July 2006. There are a number of exempted applications for these substances.

3. Manufacturers will need to ensure that their products - and the components of such products - comply with the requirements of the Regulations by the relevant date in order to be placed on the Single Market. The Regulations will also have an impact on those who import EEE into the European Union on a professional basis, those who export to other Member States and those who rebrand other manufacturers' EEE as their own.

4. These Regulations do not affect the application of existing legal requirements for EEE, including those regarding safety, the protection of health, existing transport requirements or provisions on hazardous waste. In other words, existing legislation on EEE and hazardous substances must also be complied with.