EU announces RoHSand WEEENew revised draft version of the directive
On September 3, 2009, the Secretariat of the European Council proposed new versions of the RoHS Directive and the WEEE Directive to representatives of EU member states.
On December 3 last year, the European Commission proposed to amend the RoHS Directive and the WEEE Directive, with the purpose of strengthening the rigor of the directive, increasing the responsibility of manufacturers and strengthening the market surveillance system of the 27 EU countries.
revisionRoHSinstruction: The draft covers all electrical and electronic equipment, with the exception of exclusive items. Annexes I and II of the original proposed text (respectively the categories of electrical and electronic equipment and products falling into the relevant categories) have been deleted from the draft content.
The draft has excluded defense (military) equipment. Such equipment is part of other equipment that does not fall into the scope of RoHS regulations and is not sold as a single function or commercial product. The latest products added to the exclusion list include large stationary industrial tools and pipe organ instruments.
The purpose of the RoHS directive is to limit the content of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Draft Article 4 stipulates that electrical and electronic equipment, including replacement parts placed on the market for repair or reuse, shall not contain substances listed in Annex 4. The restricted substances listed in Annex IV are the same as those already restricted in the current RoHS Directive, namely lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and dibrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). No new substances have been added. restricted substances.
The RoHS draft contains a number of responsibilities that manufacturers, importers and distributors should bear. Before placing electrical and electronic equipment on the market, importers will be required to ensure that manufacturers have carried out appropriate conformity assessment procedures. The importer must also display its name, trade name or trademark, and contact address on the electrical and electronic equipment; if this is not feasible, it should be displayed on the packaging or accompanying documents of the electrical and electronic equipment.
revisionWEEEinstruction: The Council acknowledged the difficulties in meeting WEEE recycling targets, in particular the recommended 65% recycling rate in 2016, and that there was a need for further discussion on the types of electrical and electronic equipment waste to be recycled.
The revised draft reinserts Annexes IA and IB (categories of electrical and electronic equipment, and lists of products falling within these categories). The draft provision of Article 2(4) now specifically adds that waste of electrical and electronic equipment from private households and units other than private households shall be deemed to be waste of electrical and electronic equipment from private households. Take photocopiers as an example. Even if they are mainly used by businesses, they are also purchased and used by private individuals. Therefore, when discarded, they will be regarded as electrical and electronic equipment waste from private households.
The new draft also clarifies that "placing on the market" refers to the markets of member states, not the EU market. This is very important for industry players to fulfill their registration obligations because it means that electrical and electronic equipment manufacturers (including importers) must register in each country where they launch their products.
The draft WEEE Directive sets out recycling targets for electrical and electronic equipment waste, as well as funding requirements. The draft stipulates that member states should encourage manufacturers to bear all costs of private household waste recycling facilities. The Council's latest draft adds that if member states require manufacturers to bear the cost of recycling facilities, they must ensure that waste discarded at recycling facilities and waste recycled by other means are handed over to the manufacturer free of charge or to other appropriate institutions. To prepare for recycling.
The European Council is expected to debate the content of the draft at the end of this year, and the European Parliament is expected to vote on the draft WEEE and RoHS directives in April 2010, after which the two new directives may be adopted immediately. The adopted RoHS and WEEE directives will officially take effect in the 27 EU countries 18 months after the date of publication in the EU's Official Journal.
Draft RoHS Directive http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/09/st12/st12847.en09.pdf
Draft WEEE Directive http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/09/st12/st12848.en09.pdf
– Reference source: HKTDC 2009-09-18
