What are the Key Provisions and Deadlines Under the RoHS Directive?

"1 July 2006: By this date, producers will no longer be allowed to put on the market electrical and electronic equipment that contains the hazardous substances lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). The Annex to the Directive contains a list of exemptions from the substance ban for which alternatives are not available. The Directive also allows for amendments to the Annex to adapt the list of exemptions to scientific and technical progress - if the elimination of the hazardous substances is technically or scientifically impracticable or if the negative environmental, health and consumer safety impacts caused by the substitution outweigh the environmental, health or consumers safety benefits." Source: europa.eu.int