The Commission of the European Union (EU) has issued a new, clarifying directive regarding the requirements of its revised directive restricting the use in electrical and electronic equipment (2011/65/EU) of certain hazardous substances. The directive is also known as EU RoHS 2.

The new directive eliminates the applicable requirements to secondary market operations, such as refurbishment, repair or retrofitting of electrical and electronic equipment or the replacement of spare parts, in conjunction with the July 2019 deadline for compliance with the RoHS 2 provisions. Such requirements would place an "unnecessary administrative burden" on secondary market operators and should be removed.

Certain niche product groups are excluded from the scope of RoHS 2 in the new directive due to the fact that their inclusion would bring minimalenvironmental or health benefits. An example of these niche products include pipes in organs using a specific type of lead-based alloy for which no alternative currently exists. Non-road mobile machinery with an on-board power source intended only for use by professional is another example.

Here at Product Safety Consulting, we pride ourselves on being current with all Standards and Directives as they apply to our client needs. Let us be "Your Outsourced Compliance Department" when trying to navigate the complicated world of compliance certifications.

Click here to read the complete clarifying directive.