The drive to remove lead from electronic components – both in the solder used to place components on printed circuit boards and in the materials used to fabricate the components – stems from three Directives passed into law by the European Union. Even though the effort has its origin in European legislation it is a global issue because components are manufactured, distributed, and consumed on a global scale.

The Three EU Directives Are:

The ELV Directive
End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive (2000/53/EC) - in force since October 21, 2000 and transposed into national law April 21, 2002. The ELV Directive restricts the use of heavy metals in new vehicles from July, 1 2003 such as: lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium and requires a recycling system be established by the manufacturers for vehicles made after July 1, 2002 and by January 1, 2007 for all vehicles regardless of date of manufacture.

The WEEE Directive
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2002/96/EC) expands the recycling requirements of the ELV Directive to include a broad range of electronic and electrical appliances and equipment. WEEE went into effect on February 13, 2003. It is to be transposed into national law by August 13, 2004 for consumer's use by August 13, 2005.


The RoHS Directive
The restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive (2002/95/EC) establishes absolute standards and limits for the hazardous material content in electronic and electrical equipment. The Directive went into effect on February 13, 2003. It is to be transposed into national law by August 13, 2004 for product restrictions by July 1, 2006.