Environment and health: electrical and electronic equipments WEEE, restriction of hazardous substances RoHS

The committee adopted the report by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, D) proposing a large number of amendments to the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading). The amendments focused on the following points: Purpose: the committee emphasised that the aim of the directive must be to minimise the risks and the impact on the environment and human health of the production, use, treatment and disposal of WEEE. Scope: as some categories of lighting equipment would not now be covered by the WEEE directive following amendments made by the committee (see Factsheet for procedure COD000158), they should be added to this proposal instead; Timeframe: the committee wanted the ban on dangerous substances to come into force not in 2008 but in 2006. It also said the list of substances should be extended in the light of scientific and technical progress; Review: the committee wanted particular efforts to be made before the review provided for in 2003 to substitute HFCs and other halogenated flame retardants; Penalties: the committee wanted penalties to be imposed if the provisions of the directive were breached; Exemptions: the committee deleted some of the exemptions proposed by the Commission (mercury in laboratory equipment, lead as radiation protection, cadmium oxide on photocells and Cd, Hg and Pb in cathode lamps) and added a number of new exemptions (lead in high melting temperature solders, lead in glass in electronic components and lead in piezo-electric components).�