On 3 October, the European Parliament approved the review of the scope of the Directive on Restrictions of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS Directive). The Commission, the Parliament and the Council agreed in June on the text in inter-institutional negotiations.
The amendments extend beyond the current 2019 deadline the possibility to resell electronic equipment and spare parts containing prohibited substances, which were put on the market before the respective substances were prohibited.
IPC welcomes the scope review of the RoHS Directive, as it will facilitate repair, replacement of spare parts, refurbishment and reuse of electrical and electronic equipment, such as refurbished medical equipment for instance. The review will remove unnecessary barriers to secondary market operations and foster the transition towards a circular economy.
IPC members will have the opportunity to discuss this and other issues with EU policy makers during the annual IMPACT Europe event on 9-10 October in Brussels. For more information on this event, contact John Hasselmann, vice president of government relations at JohnHasselmann@ipc.org.
Filed under: electronics, Environment, Health and Safety, Government Relations, IPC, Membership Tagged: circular economy, electrical and electronic equipment, IMPACT Europe, prohibited substances, RoHS Directive amendments
