RoHSFree Resource

EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Scope, Exemptions and Evidence Hub

Use this hub to decide whether a product is electrical and electronic equipment under Directive 2011/65/EU, apply Annex II concentration limits at homogeneous-material level, and plan the technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, and exemption evidence needed before EU market placement.

This is practical guidance, supporting implementation planning and should be validated against jurisdiction-specific legal, contractual, and policy requirements before implementation. Validate product scope, Annex I category, Annex II substance limits, Annex III or IV exemptions, and expiry status against the consolidated Directive and the Commission's current exemption material.

Run the RoHS applicability test
Publication details
Editorial metadata for this artifact
Author
Sorena AI
Published
Feb 21, 2026
Updated
May 27, 2026
What this RoHS hub helps you decide
Scope and category
Check whether the product is EEE, which Annex I category fits, and whether a specific exclusion or spare-part rule changes the assessment.
Restricted substances
Map lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE, DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DIBP against the Annex II maximum concentration values in homogeneous materials.
Exemptions
Separate Annex III general exemptions from Annex IV medical and monitoring-instrument exemptions, then track validity periods, renewal status, and product-category coverage.
Release evidence
Plan supplier declarations, material risk review, IEC 62321 testing where needed, EN IEC 63000 technical documentation, EU DoC, CE marking, and 10-year record retention.
By Sorena AIGrounded in official EU sourcesNo signup required
Quick scan
RoHS
Substances
Annex II lists 10 restricted substances. Cadmium is limited to 0.01% by weight in homogeneous materials; the other nine listed substance groups use 0.1%.
Exemptions
Article 5 exemptions are time-limited and reassessed; renewal applications are due no later than 18 months before expiry.
Evidence
EN IEC 63000:2018 is the harmonised technical-documentation standard cited for assessing materials, components, and EEE against RoHS substance restrictions.
Use this hub before design freeze, supplier onboarding, exemption renewal review, product release, importer checks, distributor review, or market-surveillance response.
2011/65/EU
Directive
10
Substances
EN IEC 63000:2018
Tech docs
18 months
Renewal lead
Homogeneous material
Exemption tracking
Supplier evidence
RoHS Timeline

Key dates for RoHS product-release planning

Track Directive 2011/65/EU milestones, Annex II phthalate application dates, category-specific scope dates, Annex III and IV exemption validity, and renewal timing that can affect design, sourcing, testing, and EU market placement.

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Topic guides

Deep dive pages for implementation planning, controls, reporting, and evidence.

1
EN IEC 63000 RoHS Technical Documentation
source-linked guide to EN IEC 63000:2018 technical documentation for EU RoHS, including manufacturer duties, evidence records, harmonised-standard status, and file maintenance.
Read Guide
2
EU RoHS Annex III and IV exemptions guide
How to use, renew, or challenge EU RoHS Annex III and Annex IV exemptions, with Article 5 criteria, timing rules, and evidence requirements.
Read Guide
3
EU RoHS Applicability Test for EEE Scope
Decide whether EU RoHS applies to electrical and electronic equipment, cables, spare parts, exclusions, exemptions, CE marking, and evidence records.
Read Guide
4
EU RoHS CE Marking and Declaration of Conformity
source-linked guide to RoHS CE marking, EU Declaration of Conformity, technical documentation, EN IEC 63000, and importer or distributor checks.
Read Guide
5
EU RoHS compliance checklist for EEE
Checklist for EU RoHS scope, restricted substances, homogeneous materials, exemptions, CE marking, technical documentation, and supplier evidence.
Read Guide
6
EU RoHS Compliance Guide for EEE
Practical EU RoHS compliance guide for electrical and electronic equipment: scope, restricted substances, exemptions, CE marking, technical documentation, and supplier evidence.
Read Guide
7
EU RoHS Deadlines and Compliance Calendar
source-linked RoHS calendar for scope phase-ins, phthalate dates, exemption renewals, spare-parts cutoffs, EN IEC 63000, CE files, and review triggers.
Read Guide
8
EU RoHS Directive FAQ: scope, substances, CE marking
Practical EU RoHS Directive FAQ covering EEE scope, Annex II substance limits, cables, spare parts, technical documentation, CE marking, and exemptions.
Read Guide
9
EU RoHS EEE Categories and Open Scope
Map products to EU RoHS EEE categories, category 11 open scope, Article 2 exclusions, cables, spare parts, and evidence needed for RoHS scope decisions.
Read Guide
10
EU RoHS for medical devices and monitoring equipment
RoHS category 8 and 9 guide covering application dates, Annex IV exemptions, phthalates, spare parts, CE marking, declarations, and technical documentation.
Read Guide
11
EU RoHS penalties and fines: Member State sanctions
source-linked guide to EU RoHS penalty exposure: national sanctions, no EU-wide fine table, CE marking misuse, corrective actions, recalls, and evidence records.
Read Guide
12
EU RoHS Phthalates: DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP
source-linked RoHS guide to DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DIBP: 0.1% homogeneous-material limits, 2019 and 2021 application dates, exemptions, evidence, and testing standards.
Read Guide
13
EU RoHS requirements for EEE, substances, and CE evidence
Practical EU RoHS requirements guide covering EEE scope, Annex II substance limits, exemptions, technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, and operator evidence.
Read Guide
14
EU RoHS Restricted Substances and Thresholds | Annex II Limits
EU RoHS Annex II restricted substances and maximum concentration values by weight in homogeneous materials, including cadmium's 0.01% limit and the 0.1% limits for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE, DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DIBP.
Read Guide
15
EU RoHS Spare Parts: Repair and Reuse
source-linked RoHS spare-parts guide covering Article 4 repair parts, reused recovered parts, closed-loop conditions, phthalate carve-outs, CE evidence, and cutoff dates.
Read Guide
16
EU RoHS test plan selection workflow
Choose RoHS supplier evidence, EN IEC 63000 technical documentation, and IEC 62321 testing without over-testing or under-documenting restricted substances.
Read Guide
17
RoHS BOM evidence intake workflow
Build a RoHS BOM evidence intake process for EEE: map parts to homogeneous materials, collect supplier declarations, handle exemptions, and feed EN IEC 63000 technical documentation.
Read Guide
18
RoHS exemption register workflow: expiry, renewal, evidence
Build a RoHS exemption register that tracks Annex III and IV entries, product scope, expiry dates, renewal status, evidence owners, and Commission source links.
Read Guide
19
RoHS exemptions tracker guide: fields, evidence, gates
Build a RoHS exemptions tracker for Annex III and IV claims, renewal timing, supplier evidence, EN IEC 63000 documentation, and release decisions.
Read Guide
20
RoHS Exemptions Tracking Register
Track EU RoHS Annex III and IV exemptions by material, component, category, expiry date, renewal status, Article 5 rationale, and evidence record.
Read Guide
21
RoHS Homogeneous Material Thresholds
EU RoHS guide to homogeneous material thresholds: 0.1% limits, the 0.01% cadmium limit, material splitting, coatings, samples, exemptions, and technical evidence.
Read Guide
22
RoHS Risk-Based Testing Guide
source-linked EU RoHS guide to risk-based testing, EN IEC 63000 documentation, IEC 62321 methods, supplier evidence, and technical-file decisions.
Read Guide
23
RoHS Supplier Change Control Workflow
source-linked EU RoHS supplier change control workflow for part substitutions, material changes, supplier declarations, testing decisions, and technical-file updates.
Read Guide
24
RoHS Supplier Declaration Template
source-linked EU RoHS supplier declaration template guidance for collecting material evidence, exemption claims, test records, and EN IEC 63000 technical-file inputs.
Read Guide
25
RoHS Supplier Declarations and Verification Guide
Build a RoHS supplier evidence file without confusing supplier declarations with manufacturer EU DoC, CE marking, technical documentation, or importer checks.
Read Guide
26
RoHS Supplier Declarations Guide
Use RoHS supplier declarations as supporting evidence for BOM, material, exemption, and technical-file reviews without replacing manufacturer EU DoC or CE duties.
Read Guide
27
RoHS technical documentation, EU DoC and CE marking
source-linked guide to RoHS technical documentation, EN IEC 63000 evidence, EU declarations of conformity, CE marking, and manufacturer, importer and distributor duties.
Read Guide
28
RoHS Timeline: practical guide
EU RoHS Directive guide to Timeline with scope decisions, owner actions, evidence records, source-linked citations, and practical next steps.
Read Guide
29
RoHS vs Batteries Regulation scope comparison
RoHS-focused comparison explaining when RoHS applies to EEE, why batteries sit outside RoHS, and what evidence should not be reused without separate battery-law support.
Read Guide
30
RoHS vs LVD/EMC CE evidence: what belongs in the RoHS file
Compare RoHS substance evidence with separate LVD and EMC CE evidence streams, using RoHS-grounded scope, technical file, DoC, CE marking, exemption, and supplier records.
Read Guide
31
RoHS vs POPs for EEE substance compliance
Compare EU RoHS and POPs obligations for electrical and electronic equipment: scope, substances, evidence, CE files, exemptions, waste overlap, and source-linked decision rules.
Read Guide
32
RoHS vs REACH for electronics: scope, evidence, overlap
Compare EU RoHS and REACH for electrical and electronic equipment: scope, restricted substances, evidence, CE marking, exemptions, and overlap decisions.
Read Guide
33
RoHS vs WEEE: EU electronics compliance comparison
Compare EU RoHS restricted-substance duties with WEEE end-of-life recycling obligations, with RoHS scope, evidence, CE marking, exemptions, and source-linked decision points.
Read Guide
34
RoHS, REACH, POPs, and batteries overlap
source-linked RoHS comparison guide for separating EEE hazardous-substance restrictions from REACH, POPs, battery, waste, and technical-file workstreams.
Read Guide
Next step

Turn RoHS scope, substances, exemptions, and evidence into owned release work

Use this hub as the shared entry point for RoHS product classification, Annex II substance checks, exemption reliance, supplier evidence, test planning, technical documentation, EU DoC, CE marking, and importer or distributor review.

What this unlocks
  • Start with the product boundary, Annex I category, intended market placement, economic-operator role, substance-risk materials, and any claimed Annex III or IV exemption.
  • Use Assessment Autopilot to request supplier declarations, material declarations, BOM risk review, targeted IEC 62321 testing, exemption rationale, expiry monitoring, technical documentation, EU DoC, and CE marking checks.
  • Use SSOT to keep product facts, supplier records, substance evidence, test reports, exemption decisions, standards references, release approvals, and market-surveillance responses connected to one governed product file.
  • Keep exemption renewal timing visible so procurement and engineering are not relying on an expired or narrowed exemption during a product release.
Recommended route
Open Assessment Autopilot
Convert RoHS scope, substance checks, exemption decisions, supplier evidence, test needs, and release approvals into owned tasks and review checkpoints.
Supporting route
Open SSOT
Keep product facts, supplier declarations, material evidence, test reports, exemption rationale, EU DoC records, and approval history in one governed system.
Talk to Sorena
Talk through RoHS readiness
Review product scope, Annex II substance risk, exemption reliance, supplier evidence, testing strategy, technical documentation, and release gaps.
Discuss your setup
EU RoHS restricted substances, exemptions, and evidence preview
Share it internally
Download the timeline export to align legal, product, engineering, and commercial teams on milestones and deadlines.