EU - Hazardous Substances in Electrical/Electronic Equipment – Evaluation of Restrictions

The EU has launched an evaluation on the RoHS Directive. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the performance of the Directive since its entry into force in 2011, and where necessary, will look back further to its predecessor legislation. It will evaluate the delivery of its objectives of 

(i) ​protecting human health and the environment, including the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste, electrical and electronic equipment, and

(ii) guaranteeing the functioning of the internal market. It will also identify whether regulatory simplifications or improvements to the legislation could be possible.

In terms of the geographical scope, the evaluation will focus on the EU, taking into account aspects related to the global trade in EEE, as obligations apply to both EU and non-EU economic operators whose equipment is placed on the EU market.

The evaluation will assess how effective, efficient, relevant and consistent the rules are, and whether they usefully supplement national efforts.

The objective of the consultation is to collect views, experience and concrete examples from stakeholders that will illustrate particular opportunities, challenges and impacts resulting from the implementation of the RoHS Directive.​

Expected completion: End of 2020