MatCheck
MatCheck covers EU RoHS among the 20+ global regulations included in every plan, checking BOMs down to the substance level without charging separately per regulation.
See MatCheckEuropean Union
EU RoHS: The 10 Restricted Substances
EU RoHS restricts ten specific hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. It is narrower than REACH, but it applies to almost every EEE product sold in the EU.
Last reviewed 2026-09-27
The 10 substances, exemptions and Directive 2011/65/EU
EU RoHS, at a glance
RoHS is Directive 2011/65/EU (the "RoHS Recast" or "RoHS 2"), which entered into force on 21 July 2011 and applies to essentially all products with an electrical or electronic component, unless specifically excluded.
It restricts ten substances: lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and four phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP) — the phthalates were added by Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863.
Exemptions are listed in Annexes III and IV and are updated periodically through delegated directives.
The European Commission completed a comprehensive review of the Directive in December 2023, publishing an evaluation report and proposing targeted amendments, after a public consultation that ran March–June 2022.
Obligations
- Products with the ten restricted substances above the applicable limit cannot be placed on the EU market unless an exemption applies.
Deadlines
- 2003-01-27 — The original RoHS Directive (RoHS 1), the predecessor to the current law, entered into force. European Commission — RoHS Directiveas of 2026-09-27
- 2011-07-21 — The current Directive 2011/65/EU ("RoHS 2" / "RoHS Recast") entered into force. European Commission — RoHS Directiveas of 2026-09-27
- 2013-01-02 — Transposition deadline for EU member states. European Commission — RoHS Directiveas of 2026-09-27
- 2015-06-04 — Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863 (signed 31 March 2015) is published in the Official Journal, adding four phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP) to the restricted-substances list. EUR-Lex — Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863as of 2026-09-27
- 2023-12-07 — The Commission's review of the Directive was finalized, with proposed targeted amendments. European Commission — RoHS Directiveas of 2026-09-27
How Rumzer helps
RumzerCE
RumzerCE's Low Voltage Directive product group covers much of the same electrical/electronic equipment RoHS applies to, so conformity teams can track both from the same platform.
See RumzerCERelated reading
Sources
- European Commission — RoHS Directivefetched 2026-09-27
- EUR-Lex — Directive 2011/65/EUfetched 2026-09-27
- EUR-Lex — Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863fetched 2026-09-27
Frequently asked questions
Questions about EU RoHS.
What does RoHS-compliant mean?
It means a product’s electrical/electronic components do not exceed the permitted limits for the 10 substances RoHS restricts (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE, and four phthalates), or the product qualifies for a listed exemption.
What substances are restricted under EU RoHS?
Ten: lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and the phthalates DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP.
Does RoHS apply outside the EU?
The EU's RoHS Directive applies only in the EU. Several other jurisdictions run their own, separate RoHS-style rules — see the China RoHS 2 page for one example Rumzer tracks.
Talk to us about EU RoHS
A compliance specialist can walk through how Rumzer handles it today.