EU Commission activities regarding the revision of the RoHS Directive

The EU Commission is currently conducting consultations and has commissioned studies for the revision of the Directive on the restriction of certain hazardous substances in electric and electronic equipment (EEE, 95/2002/EC). In this context, the Commission has entrusted the German Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut) to conduct a study on "Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, not Regulated by the RoHS Directive".
To this end, Öko-Institut has circulated a list for the potential addition of 46 substances to the list of chemicals excluded from use in EEE. All stakeholders were invited to comment on the selected high priority substances and to provide additional information by 28-March-2008. This is parallel to an ongoing review of current exemptions from this Directive, which include decabromodiphenyl ether in polymeric applications. The 46 substances listed for consultation include the following flame retardants:

  • SCCPS (short chain chlorinated paraffins)
  • MCCPs (medium chain chlorinated paraffins)
  • HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane)
  • TBBPA (tetrabromo bisphenol-A)
  • Antimony trioxide

The above mentioned flame retardants are already dealt with in the European risk assessments on existing chemicals. In addition, the list also contains

  • Related compounds to TBBPA
  • Other antimony compounds (not limited)
  • 43 further brominated flame retardants

Öko-Institut plans to submit its final study to the Commission in early June, after an "expert workshop" in May 2008.
More information: http://hse-rohs.oeko.info/