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9 Posts tagged with the electronics_legislation tag
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Waiting for impact

Posted by gnevison Feb 10, 2012

rohs legislation components.jpg

 

Specified in the terms of RoHS2, was a condition that within three years of the original entry into force (or by 22nd July 2014), an impact assessment and review of RoHS 2 scope (including restricted substances) would take place. The first stage took place between October and January, but worry not for the second consultation period is underway right now until April. Depending on the outcome of the review and assessment, the scope may be altered and further restricted substances proposed. Make sure you get your opinions heard.

 

Also revealed this week was the news from BIS that an updated RoHS2 FAQ document which aims to further clarify questions surrounding RoHS Directive should be released by the European Commission around June this year.

 

Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Export Controls in the EU webinar hosted by our own Trevor Wood, EU Compliance Manager. In this 30 minute webinar, Trevor will look at the reasons behind having export controls; who decides which items are controlled and which items are affected; the process for exporting a controlled item; plus any useful tips which you may have not already though of; as well as important contacts and reference points for further information.

 

Other snippets of information the team have covered this week include design considerations for batteries and how the Eco Design Directive affects lighting and in particular the demise of the incandescent light bulb.

 

Gary

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Chemical reactions

Posted by gnevison Feb 3, 2012

Electronic and electrical products use some pretty hazardous substances. The effects of mercury were made famous in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland with the Mad Hatter, where long exposure to mercury used in ‘felting’ wool resulted in some quite terrible neurological disorders. It’s for this reason that we have legislation like RoHS and REACH to make sure the risk presented to us from these substances is as low as possible.

 

This week saw the submission of 13 substance dossiers to ECHA for adding to the Registry of Intentions. If approved, following a period of consultancy, they will be added to the Candidate List and will have certain safe use date obligations placed upon them.

 

ECHA are also planning on releasing a classification and labelling inventory from ECHA. This inventory will help in collection and available of information on substances within the EU.

 

This week has also witnessed various reaction from industry to WEEE2 after it was voted through by the European Parliament on the 19th January. Hewlett Packard have released a report looking into the effects (or lack of) of WEEE recycling profits on producer costs.

 

In addition, it has been confirmed that photovoltaic modules will now be included in the scope of WEEE under category four (Consumer Equipment and Photovoltaic Panels), with a huge 85% collection rate for all end-of-life modules.

 

If you have any questions or want further information on any issues related to legislation in the electronics industry, please email global.legislation@element14.com or use the comments box below.

 

 

Gary

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WEEE2 moves one step closer

Posted by gnevison Jan 20, 2012

Breaking news! The European Parliament has voted in favour of the second reading of the WEEE recast also known as WEEE2. It’s still not entirely clear as to what the final text will hold but this speed in movement suggests that there may have been some compromise from the parliament and the council to get it pushed through. We’ll obviously post on element14 as soon as the final text is published.

 

In the UK, we have assisted the government in the promotion of their upcoming RoHS and WEEE roadshows by producing an article exploring the background to RoHS and WEEE legislation. The roadshows have been set up as an opportunity to find out more and ask any questions about RoHS and WEEE and in particular how the recasts of both might affect businesses in the UK.

 

Monday saw the first day of element14's Innovation Series event. You can see my webinar on "How design engineers can meet the new global challenges of the RoHS Directive" by clicking here.

 

Other key updates this week concern chemicals. The first is the ongoing debate over the use of cadmium in plastics. The European Commission and ChemSec continue to discuss the benefits and risks of the decision.

 

Finally Only Representatives (ORs) look to have been given approval to apply for and obtain REACH authorizations by the European Commission, although nothing has been formally confirmed. This decision could have large implications on the importing of items throughout Europe.

 

 

Gary

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What will 2012 bring?

Posted by gnevison Jan 13, 2012

electronic_legislation_2012.jpg


Happy New Year! And what a year 2012 promises to be in the world of electronics legislation, with a number of announcements being made already.


The big news is that 19th January will see European Parliament voting on second reading of the WEEE recast. It’s been a long time coming and we wait to see what the final text will hold.


The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given an estimated delivery date of ‘January-June 2012’ to “adopt rules regarding disclosure related to ‘conflict minerals’”. As with the WEEE recast, conflict mineral guidelines have suffered from delays so we’re intrigued to see how things will pan out.

 

2012 will be the year of webinars and we’re kicking off things with a free event looking at 'How design engineers can meet the new global challenges of the RoHS Directive' next Monday (16th) at 9am GMT.


In this short webinar, I’ll be looking at key timelines; scope and definitions within RoHS2; CE Mark requirements; exemptions and exclusions (including the exclusion of research and development equipment); methodologies for reviewing future substance restrictions; the impact assessment and review of both scope and restricted substances planned within three years. Make sure you register for this free event here!

 

Next up, Trevor Wood, Farnell’s European Compliance Manager will be hosting a short webinar exploring export controls within the European Union on the 6th March at 2pm GMT.

The webinar will focus on the reasons behind having export controls; who makes the decisions behind the controls; which items are controlled and how as well as other key issues which you may not have already considered. You can register here.


As always, if you have any questions please post them below.

 

 

Gary

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electronics legislation.jpg

 

As the year draws to a close, let's take a look back at the changes in legislation affecting the electronics industry in 2011. Below is a quick check list of all the major changes that you should be aware of in ensuring full compliance. Click on the links to read more detailed articles.

 

 

2011

 

3rd February

Plenary vote on first reading of WEEE 2

14th March

Environment Council political agreement on WEEE 2


8th June

RoHS 2 adopted by European Parliament and Council


1st May

Indian e-waste (Management and handling) Rules 2011 promulgated by Indian Government


20th June

Eco labelling entered force for distance sellers


1st July

RoHS 2 published in Official Journal


16th July

China RoHS Standard Product Catalogue for the Pollution Control of EEPs announced


22nd July

RoHS 2 enters into force


25th August

Product list for China RoHS Voluntary Certification announced


19th December

Environment Council meeting on WEEE 2


December

20 substances to be added to SVHC candidate list


31st December

RoHS exemptions due to expire


End of 2011

SEC to publish Conflict Mineral guidance?

 

 

And what can we expect in 2012?…

 

 

1st January

RoHS exemptions due to expire

 


20th January

European Commission holding Consultation Forum on the draft Eco Design working plan and new Methodology (MEErP)


January

European Parliament Plenary Vote on second reading of WEEE 2


March

Publication of revised Eco-Design Directive?


1st May

Indian e-Waste (management and Handling Rules) 2011 will come into effect


Summer 2012

Publication of final WEEE 2 text in OJ?


End of 2012

End of first reporting period for Conflict Minerals

 

 

Have you got any questions about the direcives and regulations mentioned above? Not sure how they affect you? Leave your questions in the comments box below and I'll get back to you.

 

Happy New Year from all the Legislation Team at element14!

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WEEE wish you a Merry Christmas

Posted by gnevison Dec 23, 2011

Huge news on the WEEE recast this week. EU member state representatives have come to an agreement over new WEEE proposals and the lawmaking process can move forward.  A crucial decision has been made over disputed collection targets, which sees an increase in collection targets with staggered entry into force. Other changes cover methods of collection, definitions of producers and a widened scope. We’ll bring you more on the specific details as soon as we hear.
      
The Eco Design Directive (ErP) seems to be moving forward at speed. The EU commission and its consultant group have identified the next types of products to be assessed for energy related design requirements.  These products will be the feature of detailed scientific study, commissioned by the EU, leading to the implementation of measures lessening the impact of energy related products on the environment.


Counterfeit electronic parts are invading the U.S. supply chain at an increasing rate. More than 70% of the counterfeit parts are coming from China. Ironically, counterfeiters in China are frequently making counterfeit parts from U.S. electronic waste (e-waste) shipped to China. Our US Corporate Director, Safety, Health & Environmental Affairs Ken Manchen explores the issue in his blog ‘Counterfeit parts alarm US military’. Why not follow this up with our online Counterfeit parts quiz?

Finally, we’ve updated our REACH Regulations Legislation Compliance E-book which the latest REACH candidate list as published by ECHA this week.


From all at the element14 legislation team, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

 

 

Gary

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This week the element14 legislation team is pleased to say we have been asked by the UK Government to work with them on their upcoming RoHS and WEEE roadshows. Our knowledge and experience with the RoHS and WEEE directives will form part of the information feeding into these free workshops designed to provide clarity and advice on how RoHS 2 and WEEE 2 could affect your business. To find out more and how to register for an event in your area, click here.


The other big announcement this week is the likely addition of 20 new SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) to the REACH candidate list. The list also includes the first substance nominated for its endocrine (hormone gland) disrupting properties, 4-tert-Octylphenol (CAS 140-66-9).


We have some new sections on the element14 legislation portal, one of which is trade compliance. Our trade compliance expert, Trevor Wood, posted a blog this week about the introduction of new General Authorisations for Controlled Goods by the European Commission. These UGEAs will be effective from the 7th January 2012, so make sure you know if these changes will affect you.


Have you noticed our language buttons on the legislation portal? We are making a real effort to introduce our content in multiple languages and now have a range of e-books and articles available in 10 languages. Look out for the flags on every section!

 

 

Gary

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A date for your diary!!!

Posted by gnevison Dec 9, 2011

A little known article in RoHS 2 that is likely to affect many of you is Article 2.2. This article specifies that the entire supply chain, not just new products, must be cleansed and fully RoHS compliant by the 22nd July 2019 – so don’t forget!

 

Another possible change to electronics legislation is the addition of new REACH Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). A paper prepared for the European Commission is encouraging member states to suggest more potential substances, with the Commission aiming for a total of 136 substances to be included by the end of 2012.

 

ECHA has also been busy looking at the REACH Regulations, conducting a survey into the support they offer to companies. The survey comes after finding out that 40% of companies prepared their dossiers with the support of consultants, citing the reason for outsourcing the work being limited resources within the company or to minimise the administrative burden the work would cause.

 

A document also creating interesting this week is the ‘What a waste’ report by makeITfair. The report found that around 600 containers of WEEE arrive in Ghana to be disposed of illegally every month. As documented in our Backyard Recycling e-book, the dangers of unregulated and unsafe WEEE disposal are manyfold to those unfortunate enough to work in the trade.

 

Also linked to better recycling and recovery rates is our post on rare earth minerals. The term ‘rare earth minerals’ is fast becoming the new buzzword in electronics and with the increase in global mineral demand the need to recover REMs from WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) is all the more important. Take a look at our post to find out more.

 

As always, if you have any questions on the above, or about legislation affecting the electronics industry in general, please get in contact via glegislation@premierfarnell.com or post your comments below.

 

 

Gary

 

 

 

 

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Perhaps the biggest story of the week comes from the news that final agreement has still not been reached on WEEE 2. The WEEE 2 trialogue meeting between the European Parliament, European Commission and European Council held on Tuesday in Brussels, was hoped to result in significant agreements towards the development of a final text for waste electronics. But it seems this was not meant to be…


The other major recast of 2011, RoHS 2 was huge news this year. Bringing with it changes in scope, reporting obligations and a variety of important dates to remember, RoHS 2 needs careful consideration in order to make sure you’re compliant. As a starter, I’ve put together a 30 second guide to RoHS 2. More detailed information on aspects of the RoHS 2 Directive can be found on the RoHS page.


Looking forward to next year, the Eco Design Directive will be coming to the fore. A European Commission meeting scheduled for the 20th January will be consulting on the Eco-Design 2012-2014 working plan, as well as looking at new methodology to enhance competitiveness in industry.


In other news, ECHA have published new REACH ‘guidance in a nutshell’. The aim is to guide manufacturers and importers on recording and reporting the identity of substances within the REACH Regulations.


If you have any questions on the above, or about legislation affecting the electronics industry in general, please get in contact via

glegislation@premierfarnell.com or post your comments below.

 

 



Gary

 

 

 

 

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