I've been involved with RoHS, as it's known, for my ex company in the UK. Once you are in to the detail there are exemptions for military and aerospace, also some of the banned substances can be used in specific applications. The biggest pain is that OEM's have to keep records / systems to be able to demonstrate compliance with the directive, down to component level. Some product types such as medical and measuring equipment are currently exempt. The directive was also introduced to combat the problems of electrical and electronic waste going to landfill and 'toxic' substances leaching out. Many countries are moving down this road in differing ways. The EU has also introduced the WEEE Directive (Waste electrical and electronic equipment) directive that puts the onus on manufacturers to pay towards safe product disposal at end of life.

Last edited by PeterK; 04/02/10 09:24 AM.