EU RoHS Directive: Review and Addition of Restricted Substances
ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Under ongoing review (no amendment to Annex II adding MCCPs or TBBP-A has been adopted)
Overview
The EU RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU) currently restricts ten hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) — lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE, DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DIBP. Under Article 6, the European Commission periodically reviews candidates for addition to the restricted substances list.
Adding medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBP-A) has been considered, but no amendment to Annex II has been adopted, and the list still contains ten substances (as of October 2026).
Enforcement Timeline
March 2021: A European Commission-commissioned study (RoHS Pack 15) publishes its final report, recommending the addition of MCCPs and TBBP-A to the restricted substances list.
As of October 2026: No amendment to Annex II has been adopted, and ten substances remain restricted (European Commission RoHS page).
Business Impact
Manufacturers of printed circuit boards and plastic molded parts need to identify their use of TBBP-A (a flame retardant in circuit board resin) and MCCPs (a flame retardant plasticizer in wire insulation and PVC), and urgently evaluate alternatives such as non-halogenated flame retardants and substitute polymers.