EU: Only a week left to take part in the RoHS public consultation

 

The EU Commission is giving the opportunity to participate in the public consultation about the RoHS Directive.  It will remain open for only a week more.

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is a highly diverse product group characterised by fast innovation cycles, which lead to continuous changes in equipment features, performance and materials used. EEE contains various hazardous substances, which could pose risks to the environment and human health during the EEE production and use, as well as during the collection, treatment and disposal of waste EEE (WEEE).

Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) currently restricts the use of ten hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), in particular with regard to related waste management challenges, and related workers’ protection. By establishing mechanisms for restricting the use of such substances, the Directive aims to enable cleaner material cycles and environmentally sound treatment of waste EEE (WEEE), thus contributing to the circular economy and the protection of human health and the environment.

The Directive inspired similar laws in around 50 other jurisdictions around the world.

Among the questions asked in the public consultation are for example:

• In your view, should recycled materials and recovered parts containing restricted hazardous substances be used for the repair or refurbishment of EEE in order to save resources?
• If the RoHS Directive should be turn into a regulation to reduce the administrative burden for the member states (when the Annexes to the Directive are amended by means of delegated acts (such as cases of exemptions under Annexes III and IV to the Directive), these amendments also need to be transposed by every MS).
• If there are aspects of the scope of the RoHS Directive which require clarification (e.g. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, EEE designed for vehicles but not permanently installed in it (e.g. navigation systems in cars)).
• Have you or your organisation experienced difficulties or unnecessary administrative burden resulting from overlap, duplication or contradictions between RoHS scope, and obligations and scope of other pieces of legislation (Currently, various substances regulated under RoHS are also regulated under other EU legislation such as REACH. While these different pieces of legislation tend to regulate different products, product life cycle phases or substance applications, overlaps and related contradictions could arise.)

The consultation is available here.

To find out more about the RoHS Directive, the CE marking and the planned changes, do not hesitate to contact the Product Compliance Institute directly.