The European Union (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, also referred to as RoHS 2, controls the use of dangerous materials in electrical and electronic equipment. The RoHS Directive seeks to limit the spread of these substances into the environment as pollutants and reduce occupational exposure during manufacturing and recycling. Accordingly, electronic products cannot be placed on the market if they contain any of the restricted substances above specific concentration limits at the homogeneous level. However, RoHS compliance includes exemptions which allow a restricted substance to be used in certain applications if a substitute is not available on the market. Any exemption being used must still be disclosed.
Learn more about the EU RoHS Directive by visiting the European Commission website.
Compliance Requirements Under EU RoHS
Compliance with the RoHS Directive is the responsibility of the company producing products that fall under its scope. A “producer” includes any person who manufactures and sells, resells, imports or exports electrical and electronic equipment into the EU on a professional basis. Producers must self-declare their compliance with the Directive and member states will carry out checks and surveillance on products to confirm compliance. If a product is found to be non-compliant with RoHS, the producer will be asked to show due diligence has been carried out. This necessitates supply chain communication with suppliers and subcontractors to ensure full compliance during the entire manufacturing process.
Assent’s EU RoHS Module Highlights:
- Proactive RoHS exemption expiration notifications sent to suppliers
- Product declaration roll-ups
- RoHS product declaration creation
- Supplier auditing
- Supplier response and compliance status tracking
- Data validations
- Real-time reporting
- …and more!
