December 3, 2008 – EU Commission releases updated RoHS and WEEE Directives

The EU Commission has released proposals to update the RoHS and WEEE Directives. The new RoHS proposal:Includes Medical Equipment and Monitoring and Control Instruments within the scope of RoHS

  • Brings RoHS compliance under the CE mark
  • Establishes requirements for Conformity assessment, and market surveillance,
  • Improves the process for requesting exemptions but establishes a time limit of four years.
  • Separates the scope of the RoHS Directive from the WEEE Directive
  • Establishes definitions for several key terms, including homogeneous material and fixed installation

The key changes proposed for the WEEE Directive are clarification of scope and definitions, more ambitious, but flexible recovery and recycling targets, strengthened enforcement, and some level of harmonization to registration and reporting systems.