EU: New stakeholder consultation opens for RoHS exemptions

February 2018- Relevant for: Electrical & electronics

The European Commission (EC) has published initiatives to amend exemptions (See Table A) in Annex III of RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU¹. The Commission is now collecting feedback until 15 March 2018. This is the second batch of exemptions renewal followed by the consultation launched in September 2017².

Directive 2011/65/EU requires member states to ensure that electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market does not contain certain hazardous substances listed in Annex II to the Directive. However, that requirement does not apply to the applications listed in Annex III and IV. Directive 2011/65/EC also established the procedure for inclusion, renewal, amendments and revoking of exemptions.

The Commission received requests for granting new and renewing existing exemptions which were expired on 21 July 2016 for specific categories. In accordance with Article 5(5) of Directive 2011/65/EU, those exemptions remain valid until a decision on that renewal application has been adopted.

Back to October 2017, the Commission amended¹²the exemption for cadmium in colour converting light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for use in display systems. The new amendment will enter into force from 20 November 2017, and the Member States shall adopt these provisions by 21 November 2018.

Table A. Draft amendments to Annex III of RoHS Directive

Exemption	Exempted applications	Categories	Expires on
7(c)-II³	Lead in dielectric ceramic in capacitors for a rated voltage of 125 V AC or 250 V DC or higher	Does not apply to applications covered by point 7(c)-I and 7(c)-IV of this Annex.
		Categories 1-7 and 10	21 July 2021
		Categories 8 and 9 other than in vitro diagnostic medical devices and industrial monitoring and control instruments	21 July 2021
		Category 8 in vitro diagnostic medical devices	21 July 2023
		Category 9 industrial monitoring and control instruments, and for Category 11	21 July 2024
7(c)-IV⁴	Lead in PZT (lead-zirconium-titanate) based dielectric ceramic materials for capacitors which are part of integrated circuits or discrete semiconductors	All Categories	21 July 2021
8(b)⁵	Cadmium and its compounds in electrical contacts	Categories 8 and 9 other than in vitro diagnostic medical devices and industrial monitoring and control instruments	21 July 2021
		Category 8 in vitro diagnostic medical devices	21 July 2023
		Category 9 industrial monitoring and control instruments, and for Category 11	21 July 2024
8(b)-I⁵ (NEW)	Cadmium and its compounds in electrical contacts used in: circuit breakers; thermal sensing controls; thermal motor protectors (excluding hermetic thermal motor protectors); AC switches rated at: DC switches rated at 20 A and more at 18 V DC and more; and switches for use at voltage supply frequency ≥ 200 Hz	Categories 1 to 7 and 10	21 July 2021
15⁶	Lead in solders to complete a viable electrical connection between semiconductor die and carrier within integrated circuit flip chip packages	Categories 8 and 9 other than in vitro diagnostic medical devices and industrial monitoring and control instruments	21 July 2021
		Category 8 in vitro diagnostic medical devices	21 July 2023
		Category 9 industrial monitoring and control instruments, and for category 11	21 July 2024
15(a)⁶ (NEW)	Lead in solders to complete a viable electrical connection between the semiconductor die and carrier within integrated circuit flip chip packages where at least one of the following criteria applies: a semiconductor technology node of 90 nm or larger; a single die of 300 mm2 or larger in any semiconductor technology node; stacked die packages with die of 300 mm2 or larger, or silicon interposers of 300 mm2 or larger.	Categories 1 to 7 and 10	21 July 2021
21⁷	Lead and cadmium in printing inks for the application of enamels on glasses, such as borosilicate and soda lime glasses	Categories 8 and 9 other than in vitro diagnostic medical devices and industrial monitoring and control instruments	21 July 2021
		Category 8 in vitro diagnostic medical devices	21 July 2023
		Category 9 industrial monitoring and control instruments, and for Category 11	21 July 2024
21(a)⁷ (NEW)	Cadmium when used in colour printed glass to provide filtering functions, used as a component in lighting applications installed in displays and control panels of EEE	Categories 1 to 7 and 10 except applications covered by entry 21(b) or 39	21 July 2021
21(b)⁷ (NEW)	Cadmium in printing inks for the application of enamels on glasses, such as borosilicate and soda lime glasses	Categories 1 to 7 and 10 except applications covered by entry 21(a) or 39	21 July 2021
21(c)⁷ (NEW)	Lead in printing inks for the application of enamels on other than borosilicate glasses	Categories 1 to 4, 6, 7 and 10	21 July 2021
29⁸	Lead bound in crystal glass as defined in Annex I (Categories 1, 2, 3 and 4) of Council Directive 69/493/EEC9	Categories 1-7 and 10	21 July 2021
		Categories 8 and 9 other than in vitro diagnostic medical devices and industrial monitoring and control instruments	21 July 2021
		Category 8 in vitro diagnostic medical devices	21 July 2023
		Category 9 industrial monitoring and control instruments, and for Category 11	21 July 2024
32¹⁰	Lead oxide in seal frit used for making window assemblies for Argon and Krypton laser tubes	Categories 1-7 and 10	21 July 2021
		Categories 8 and 9 other than in vitro diagnostic medical devices and industrial monitoring and control instruments	21 July 2021
		Category 8 in vitro diagnostic medical devices	21 July 2023
		Category 9 industrial monitoring and control instruments, and for category 11	21 July 2024
37¹¹	Lead in the plating layer of high voltage diodes on the basis of a zinc borate glass body	Categories 1-7 and 10	21 July 2021
		Categories 8 and 9 other than in vitro diagnostic medical devices and industrial monitoring and control instruments	21 July 2021
		Category 8 in vitro diagnostic medical devices	21 July 2023
		Category 9 industrial monitoring and control instruments, and for category 11	21 July 2024

CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

EU: New stakeholder consultation opens for RoHS exemptions

February 2018- Relevant for: Electrical & electronics

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