Directive 2002/95/EC ("RoHS") from January 27th, 2003, (OJ No. L 37/19 of February 13, 2003) defines the restrictions for substances used in electrical and electronic equipment.  Article 4(1) since July 1, 2006 prohibits electric light bulbs and luminaires used in households and in electrical and electronic equipment to be put on the market containing lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE). According to Article 2 in conjunction with Annex 1a of 2005/96/EC (WEEE) following categories are defined:

The RoHS Directive does not apply to components. Regardless EPCOS provides products – according EPCOS list of RoHS compatible Products - ready to use with electrical and electronic equipment of the categories mentioned above. It is not possible to replace the banned substances in each application. Therefore exemptions are granted with the Annex of the RoHS. This annex has been amended by directive 2005/717/EC from October 15th, 2005 and directive 2005/747/EC from October 25th, 2005.

Due to natural impurities, a zero level of restricted substances cannot be achieved. Threshold levels had been published with directive 2005/618/2005 from August 2005 amending 2002/95/EC (RoHS). For the purposes of Article 5(1)(a), a maximum concentration value of

0,1 %  by weight in homogeneous materials for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and of 0,01 % by weight in homogeneous materials for cadmium shall be tolerated.

Other countries outside the European Union have either implemented regulations similar to RoHS or are planning to do so. In China, for example, the »Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products« (ACPEIP) went into effect on March 1, 2007.