On October 31, 2017, the European Union published a new law in the Official Journal amending Directive 2011\/65\/EU, commonly known as the RoHS 2 Directive. The RoHS 2 Directive restricts the use of certain hazardous substances, including cadmium, in electrical and electronic equipment. The newly issued European Commission Directive 2017\/1975 amended Annex III of the RoHS 2 Directive. This annex lists various exemptions for the prohibition of hazardous substances, and this amendment addresses the exemption for the current use of cadmium in color-changing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in display devices. The directive states that Article 39 of Annex III of the RoHS 2 Directive stipulates an exemption for the use of cadmium in color-changing LEDs in light-emitting and display devices, valid until July 1, 2014. The European Commission received an application requesting an extension of the exemption period until January 1, 2013. According to Article 5 of the RoHS 2 Directive, the European Commission may add or extend exemptions in certain circumstances, including when the reliability of alternatives to the restricted substance is questionable, or when the environmental, health, and safety benefits of the alternative are unlikely to outweigh the overall negative impacts in these three areas. The directive states that color-changing LEDs using quantum dots have proven superior to previous technologies in terms of energy efficiency and color performance. Compared to other existing alternatives, the energy consumption of using cadmium-containing quantum dots in display devices is lower, thus the overall benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Furthermore, the overall negative impacts on the environment, health, and consumer safety from switching to cadmium-containing quantum dot alternatives in display devices using quantum dots outweigh the benefits. Therefore, according to the directive, the use of cadmium selenide in display devices to reduce the wavelength of cadmium-containing semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots will be exempted. This exemption will take effect for two years after the directive is published in the Official Journal. Some commentators believe that due to the shorter exemption period, it is not expected to negatively impact the development of cadmium-free alternatives. However, compared to existing applicable exemptions, the new provisions have greater limitations. According to the directive, the revised provisions significantly raise the exemption threshold, making exemptions applicable only when cadmium selenide (an inorganic compound actually used in the relevant equipment) is used, and the applicable circumstances are more clearly stated. Furthermore, the new directive indicates that, since cadmium-containing quantum dot LEDs used for lighting have not yet been commercially available, the authorities cannot accurately assess their potential benefits compared to existing technologies. Therefore, the European Commission believes there is currently no sufficient grounds to extend the exemption period for lighting equipment. Commission Directive 2017\/1975 will enter into force on the 20th day after its publication in the Official Journal. EU Member States must amend and promulgate their national laws in accordance with the directive within 12 months of its entry into force, and the relevant laws must enter into force no later than 12 months plus one day of the directive's entry into force. Please refer to the attachment: Commissioner's Directive 2017\/1975 (English version) for details. Source: HKTDC Research (2017-11-17) Attachment file: Commissioner's Directive 2017\/1975 (English version).pdf<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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