	Two new appendices have been added to describe the scope of the directives. Appendix I describes the specific product categories, and Appendix II, revised by the committee, provides a list of products in each category.
	Medical devices and monitoring and control instruments will be included in the regulatory scope in stages.
	New definitions have been added, such as "medical devices" and "homogeneous materials".

	The list of prohibited substances and maximum concentration values for the existing directives have been moved to Annex IV and will be revised by the Committee in accordance with the working procedures (comitology).
	The list of prohibited substances remains unchanged; however, four substances (HBCDD, DEHP, BBP, and DBP) have been identified as priority for assessment and may be added to the list of prohibited substances in the future.
	Allowing the use of components that do not comply with the directive will help bring equipment containing exclusionary items to market.
	A new appendix on exclusions for medical devices and monitoring and control instruments has been added to address special circumstances where no viable alternatives exist at present.
	The new prohibited substances will be consistent with the REACH directive assessment methodology to ensure consistency of chemical regulations and maximum synergistic effect.

	The previous requirement for exclusionary programs to be reviewed every four years has been changed to a maximum validity period of four years for exclusionary programs.
	The new criteria for exclusionary programs require feasible and reliable alternatives and must cover socioeconomic effects.
	The committee must establish detailed exclusion criteria to serve as a legal basis for decisions when economic operators make updated requests to the committee.