This Guide raises awareness and provides recommendation on the use of consistent terminology related to halogen content for use in horizontal and product-specific IEC standards.

The terminology related to halogen content provided in this Guide does not take into consideration astatine (At) and the artificially created tennessine (Ts), since they are not used in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Diatomic halogen molecules (F2, Cl2, Br2, I2), normally not found in EEE, are also excluded from the terminology recommended in this Guide.

NOTE The IEC Standardization Management Board (SMB) has decided that Guides such as this one can have mandatory requirements which shall be followed by all IEC committees developing technical work that falls within the scope of the Guide, as well as guidance which may or may not be followed. The mandatory requirements in this Guide are identified by the use of "shall". Statements that are only for guidance are identified by using the verb "should". (See ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement:2021, A.1.1.).