Brussels, 22/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - The ban on heavy metals and other dangerous chemicals in electrical and electronic equipment has now been extended to a much wider range of products, with a new “RoHS” directive coming into force on Thursday 21 July. Member states have 18 months to transpose the new rules. The new directive will improve the safety of electronic products such as thermostats, medical devices and control panels, and will prevent the release of hazardous substances into the environment.
The new law is a revision of the RoHS directive on the restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. It will continue to ban lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and the flame retardants Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). The previous RoHS directive covered several categories of electrical and electronic equipment including household appliances, IT and consumer equipment, but it has now been extended to all electronic equipment, cables and spare parts. Exemptions can still be granted in cases where no satisfactory alternative is available. The list of banned substances will be reviewed on a regular basis.
The key elements of the new Directive are the following: - a gradual extension of the rules to all electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), cables and spare parts, with a view to full compliance by 2019; - a review of the list of banned substances by July 2014, and periodically thereafter; - clearer and more transparent rules for granting exemptions from the substance ban; - improved coherence with the REACH Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals; - clarification of important definitions; - CE marking denoting compliance with European norms reserved for electronic products that also respect RoHS requirements.
In view of the significant extension of the scope, the new directive provides for transition periods of up to eight years for new products affected by the rules. Photovoltaic panels are exempted from the new directive in an effort to help the EU reach its renewable energy and energy efficiency targets.
Implementation and compliance are important aspects of the new rules, which include a mechanism to make it easier for the Commission to monitor compliance.
The Commission is striving to ensure a smooth transition between the “old” and “new” RoHS directives. To facilitate compliance for manufacturers, the RoHS FAQ guidance document will be updated before the deadline for transposition by member states. The Commission will also review articles covered by the change in scope between the old and new directives, and which have not yet been subject to an impact assessment, with a view to their inclusion in the directives.
The text of the “new” directive can be found at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ : L: 2011: 174: 0088: 0110: EN: PDF (O.L./transl.rt)