RoHS DIRECTIVE
Restriction of Hazardous Substances
2002/95/EC

Objective: Restrict the use of hazardous substance to improve human health and protect the environment.

Some Important Dates:

13 August 2004 - Member states shall pass laws and regulations and administrative provisions to comply with this directive.

13 February 2005 - Before this date the Commission shall consider amendments to the list of restricted substances. Present proposals for including in this Directive equipment in exempt categories 8 & 9 of the WEEE Directive.

1 July 2006 - Member states shall ensure that new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market do not contain restricted materials.

Scope - Categories 1 - 7 & 10 of WEEE Directive.

Not Covered: Categories 8 & 9 of WEEE Directive (at this time). Spare parts put on the market before 1st July 2006. Annex of RoHS.

Materials Affected and Proposed Allowable Trace Amounts per Homogenous Material:

• Lead - 0.1%
• Mercury - 0.1%
• Cadmium - 0.01%
• Hexavalent chromium - 0.1%
• Polybrominated biphenyls - 0.1%
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers - 0.1%

For More Information:

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries http://www.ipc.org/

Tin Technologies
http://www.tintechnology.biz

Europa
http://europa.eu.int/

DTI - Department of Trade and Industry
http://www.dti.gov.uk/

WEEE DIRECTIVE
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
2002/96/EC

Objective: Reduce and recycle Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment to protect the environment.

Some Important Dates:

13 August 2004 - Member states shall pass laws and regulations and administrative provisions to comply with this directive.

13 August 2005 - Member states shall ensure a collection system for WEEE from private households.

31 December 2006 - Member states shall ensure 4 kilograms on average per inhabitant per year of WEEE from private households.

31 December 2008 - New target forcollection volume.

Scope - Product Categories:

1. Large household appliances
2. Small household appliances
3. IT and telecommunications equipment
4. Consumer equipment
5. Lighting equipment
6. Electrical and electronic tools (exception: large-scale stationary industrial tools)
7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment
8. Monitoring and control instruments
9. Medical devices (exception: implanted and infected products)
10. Automatic dispensers

Not Covered:
National security and military applications.
Large industrial machines.