What Is RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances)?
Also known as: RoHS directive, RoHS 2, Directive 2011/65/EU, RoHS compliance
Definition
RoHS is the EU Directive 2011/65/EU restricting hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. It limits lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE and four phthalates to set concentration limits per homogeneous material.
RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Explained
RoHS (often called RoHS 2 after the 2011 recast) restricts ten substances in electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU market: lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and diphenyl ethers (PBDE) at 0.1% by weight, cadmium at 0.01%, and the phthalates DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP at 0.1%, the last four added by a 2015 delegated directive and applied from July 2019. Limits are applied per homogeneous material, not per finished product.
Compliance is shown through a technical file, an EU declaration of conformity and CE marking, since RoHS is one of the directives behind the CE mark. Exemptions exist for specific applications, such as certain lead uses in some alloys and glass, and they expire or get renewed on a schedule, so exemption tracking is a real data task. Many other regions have similar rules, including China's RoHS-style labeling regime and various state laws.
In an ERP, RoHS compliance is again a data-to-BOM problem. Each purchased component needs a supplier declaration or material data, a compliance status field, and any exemption reference. A multi-level BOM lets you confirm that no non-compliant part sits inside a finished good. Mid-market ERPs usually hold this in user-defined fields and attached documents; larger SAP landscapes can use product compliance functionality. Defense and aerospace programs sometimes hold leaded solder exemptions or customer-specific deviations, which makes accurate per-item status even more important.
Netray does not certify products. We help customers keep supplier declarations, BOM structure and status flags consistent and queryable, so the manufacturer can sign its own declaration with evidence.
Why It Matters
- Non-compliant electronics can be pulled from the EU market, and distributors often demand declarations before listing parts.
- Exemption expiry dates need tracking, since a part valid last year may no longer be covered.
- Customers push RoHS flow-down clauses into purchase orders, so supplier data quality affects contract risk.
- Counterfeit or substituted components can break RoHS status, so approved vendor controls matter.
In Practice
A PCB assembler switches to a new capacitor from an alternate vendor. Before release, the engineer checks the item's RoHS status field, finds only a declaration for the old part number, and blocks the ECO until the new declaration is attached. Without that gate, a product with unknown RoHS status could ship under an existing declaration of conformity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ten RoHS restricted substances?
Lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE, and the phthalates DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP.
Is RoHS the same as lead-free?
Lead-free is one part of RoHS. RoHS also restricts several other substances, and has exemptions where lead is still allowed for specific uses.
Does RoHS apply to my product?
It applies to electrical and electronic equipment in scope categories placed on the EU market. Check the category definitions and any exclusions for your product type.
Related Terms
REACH Regulation
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is EU Regulation EC 1907/2006. It requires companies to register chemical substances, communicate hazards down the supply chain and disclose Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) in articles above 0.1% by weight.
BOM (Bill of Materials)
A BOM (bill of materials) is the structured, hierarchical list of components, sub-assemblies, and quantities required to produce one unit of a parent item, and it is the primary input MRP explodes to calculate material requirements.
Conflict Minerals (Dodd-Frank Section 1502)
Conflict minerals are tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG) that may finance armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries. Under Dodd-Frank Section 1502, SEC-reporting companies using them must perform due diligence and file Form SD annually.
CE Marking
CE marking is the mark a manufacturer affixes to show a product meets the applicable EU legislation, such as the Machinery, Low Voltage, EMC or RoHS directives. The manufacturer assesses conformity, compiles a technical file, signs an EU declaration of conformity and applies the mark.
Traceability
Traceability is the ability to follow the history, location, and application of a part or material through the supply chain and production process, both backward to its sources and forward to every product and customer it reached.
Working with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) in a live environment? Our engineers do this every day - and our AI agents automate most of it.