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

PURPOSE : to approximate the laws of the Member States on the restrictions of the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and to contribute to the protection of human health and the environmentally sounds recovery and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. CONTENT : the Council adopted the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (so-called RoHS Directive). The Directive aims to protect the soil, water and air against pollution through the restriction of the use of certain substances, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent, chromium and certain brominated flame retardants (e.g. polybrominated biphenyls or polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in that type of equipment. It lays down provisions to ensure that from 1 July 2006 new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market does not contain any of the substances mentioned above. Certain exemptions apply, inter alia, to the use of mercury in compact and straight fluorescent lamps, as well as to the use of lead in different types of solders and as an alloying element. It provides for the prohibition of other hazardous substances and for their replacement by more environmentally friendly alternatives as soon as new scientific evidence is available, on the basis of a new proposal from the Commission. Before the 13 February 2005, the Commission shall review the measures provided for in this Directive to take into account, as necessary new scientific evidence. In particular the Commission shall by that date, present proposals for including in the scope of the Directive equipment which falls under categories 8 and 9 set out in Annex IA to Directive 2002/96/EC (refer to COD/2000/0158). Concerning the penalties, Member States shall determine the penalties applicable to breaches of the national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive. The penalties this provided for shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. TRANSPOSITION : 13 August 2004. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 13 February 2003.�