Author Archives: ECD_admin

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.

October 10, 2008 – IEC PAS 62596 on Sample Disjointment is Approved

This guidance document is particularly useful given that a significant number of errors in testing are caused by initial errors in obtaining and preparing samples. The draft for a Publically Available Specification (PAS) on “Sample Disjointment” for purposes of restricted substance testing was approved by IEC National Committees when the voting period closed on October 10, 2008.

The PAS 62596 document will be publicly released within a couple months.

October 3, 2008: IEC 62321 – Standard for Test Methods for RoHS substances is Approved

The IEC 62321 FDIS (Final Draft International Standard) was unanimously approved by TC111 National Committees on Oct 3, 2008.  The standard describes accepted methods for sample preparation and testing for the six RoHS substances.

The IEC62321 is expected to be formally published as an International Standard in January or February 2009. Several government enforcement authorities have already indicated; that they will accept the testing standard.

September 5, 2008: IEC 62430 – Environmentally Conscious Design (ECD) Standard is Approved

The IEC 62430 Committee Draft for Vote (CDV) was unanimously approved (with 4 abstains) when balloting closed on September 5, 2008. The working group has made editorial improvements that were recommended by National Committees and the document is now going through IEC central office for publication as an International Standard.

IEC 62430 specifies baseline requirements for developing and implementing an ECD process (including documentation requirements) as part of an organization’s design processes.

February 22, 2008L EuP power supplies

The fourth meeting of the EuP Consultation forum is held to consider Implementing Measures for external power supplies simple set top boxes. Power efficiency standards for no-load and load conditions will become mandatory under the “CE” mark to place products on the EU market.

January 1, 2008: Update on Korea RoHS

Korea RoHS was to have come into effect on Jan 1, 2008. Enforcement has been formally delayed until July 1, 2008 due to the late signing of supporting legislation (Presidential Decree and Enforcement Regulation).  Note: Korea RoHS has significant additional provisions compared to EU RoHS and China RoHS. However, all three regulations restricted the same six substances.

December 15, 2007: Draft standard for analytical testing of RoHS substances

The draft standard IEC 62321 on Procedures for the determination of levels of six regulated substances (Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Biphenyls, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers) was approved by the IEC/TC111 committee. Both industry and government have been awaiting the publication of this standard to provide a common agreement for testing for the RoHS

November 2, 2007: NWML releases report on UK RoHS Enforcement.

The UK RoHS enforcement authority, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML), has released its first year report on enforcement of the EU RoHS Directive. The NWML confirmed that a large number of compliance issues had been found and remedial actions taken with several producers. Enforcement was hampered by limitations defined in the UK RoHS regulation; the regulation will be updated in Feb 2008 to increase enforcement powers.