The EU RoHS Directive seeks to limit the impact and exposure of specific hazardous substances to consumers and the environment, and reduce occupational exposure when products or equipment are manufactured, recycled, or sent for final disposal. To be EU RoHS compliant, companies must put measures in place to control the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and provide documentation demonstrating compliance with all aspects of this European Single Market directive.

Accordingly, electrical and electronic products and all accessories sold with them cannot be placed on the market if they contain RoHS-restricted substances above maximum concentration limits at the homogeneous level. However, RoHS does include exemptions that allow some restricted substances to be used in certain very technical and specific applications if a suitable substitute is not available on the market or that substitute has a greater environmental impact. The use of any exemption must still be disclosed when making declarations of RoHS compliance.