Environment and health: electrical and electronic equipments WEEE, restriction of hazardous substances RoHS

PURPOSE : to approximate the laws of the Member States on the restrictions of the use of hazardous substances in electrical equipment and to contribute to the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment. CONTENT : the proposed Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment will contribute to the same objectives by ensuring that substances causing major problems during the waste management phase, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and certain brominated flame retardants are substituted. The disparities between the laws or administrative measures adopted by the Member Staes as regards the restriction of the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment could create barriers to trade and distort competition in the Community and may thereby have a direct impact on the establishment and functioning of the Interal Market. It therefore appears necessary to approximate the laws of the Member Staes in this field. The main objectives and principles of the Community's environmental policy are, in particular, to prevent, reduce and as far as possible eliminate pollution. The proposal follows the principles of existing Community waste legislation, which already included restrictions on the marketing of hazardous substances. Furthermore, Member States shall ensure that with effect from 1 January 2008 the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) in electrical equipment is substituted by other substances. �