Review of the List of Restricted Substance (Annex II) of Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS)

Between 2018 and 2020, Oeko-Institut and Fraunhofer IZM performed a study for the European Commission [1] looking into various aspects of substance restriction in the context of Directive 2011/65/EC (RoHS) on the restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The study included the revision of the existing methodology for identifying, prioritising and assessing substances for possible restriction, the assessment of seven substances or substance groups and an update and prioritisation of the inventory of substances possibly used in EEE. This paper provides a short update on changes that have been integrated into the new methodology, followed by a discussion of challenges that arose from the implementation of the revised methodology and the presentation of more relevant results of the study, particularly in relation to recommendations on future restrictions of additional substances and recommendations as to future cycles of assessing additional substance for possible restriction.