Electrical and electronic equipment (EEEs) are widely used in almost all aspects of daily life including audio and video equipment, communication devices, household appliances and lighting products. Safety and performance of EEPs are thus of paramount concern. It is vital that all EEPs sold meet stringent and performance standards to ensure they are safe and suitable for their intended use.

The European Union has an alert exchange system – RAPEX (The Rapid Exchange of Information System) to monitor consumer products that poses a risk to health and consumer safety between their member states for electrical appliances, clothing or toys In the first five months of this yes, we have already seen a huge number of recall cases, which have already surpassed the total from 2022. EU member states had strengthened the surveillance check and enforcement of restricted substances compliance in the past few months, resulting in a variety of products were recalled or withdrawn from the market.


Amongst, majority of the recall cases are on violations against RoHS or POPs. Most of the violations are on excessive concentration on lead, especially on electronics parts. There are also various violations on phthalate and SCCP, in which these restricted substances have been a long-term target on market surveillance. One may refer to below figures and violations for reference.

Violation on RoHS 2 regulation:

1.  Lead: Poses a risk to the environment
2.  Cadmium: It accumulates in the body, can damage the kidneys and bones and it may cause cancer.
3.  Phthalates: May harm the health of children, possibly causing damage to their reproductive systems
4.  SCCPs: Persistent in the environment and are toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations and bio-accumulate in wildlife and humans, posing a risk to human health and the environment. Prolonged exposure to them through the skin may cause cancer.