More about EU directives WEEE & RoHS

The EU directives 2002/96/EC WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and 2002/95/EC RoHS (Restrictions in the use of Hazardous Substances) are to be fully implemented by August 2005 and July 2006 respectively.

The directives apply to electrical and electronic equipment designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1 000 volts for alternating current and 1 500 volts for direct current. The categories of products that each directive applies to are specified in the WEEE directive, with reservation for some exceptions and additions.

WEEE directive 
The purpose of WEEE directive (2002/95/EC) is, as a first priority, the prevention of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and in addition, the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce the disposal of waste. WEEE is a minimum directive; each country develops its own system with minimum requirements according to the WEEE directive. When putting a product on the market a producer must provide a guarantee that the management of all WEEE will be financed. The guarantee may take the form of participation in appropriate schemes for the financing of the management of WEEE or a recycling insurance. 

The following categories of electrical and electronic equipment are covered by the directive: 

1. Large household appliances 
2. Small household appliances 
3. IT and telecommunications equipment 
4. Consumer equipment 
5. Lighting equipment 
6. Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools) 
7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment 
8. Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products) 
9. Monitoring and control instruments 
10. Automatic dispensers 

WEEE does not apply to electrical and electronic equipment that is part of another type of equipment that does not fall within the scope of the directive.

EU Member States shall encourage the design and production of electrical and electronic equipment which take into account and facilitate dismantling and recovery, in particular the reuse and recycling of WEEE, their components and materials.

RoHS directive
The purpose of RoHS directive (2002/96/EC) is to restrict the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and to contribute to the protection of human health and the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment. RoHS is a harmonizing directive, i.e. there will be national adaptations of the directive. 

The directive shall apply to electrical and electronic equipment falling under the categories 1- 7 and 10 set out in WEEE directive and to electric light bulbs, and luminaries in households. The directive does not apply to spare parts for the repair, or to the reuse, of electrical and electronic equipment put on the market before 1 July 2006. 

EU Member States shall ensure that, from 1 July 2006, new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market does not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).

National legislation
Member States should have brought into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with these directives before 13 August 2004. Unfortunately nearly all of the member states missed the deadline and there will be a delay. The Commission will, by 13 February 2005 at the latest, look over the directive regulations in order to propose more product categories to be embraced. Additional proposals have been announced to the Commission by member states and by the industry about exceptions for the use of hazardous substances. These shall be investigated by the Commission. 

The Commission has formed a committee for technical adaptation (TAC) of RoHS and WEEE. TAC is working with the interpretation of the directives and with carrying out guidelines for the application. In the committee, issues that have been observed within the member states are discussed. The committee has authorization e.g. to stipulate limits and to take decisions about changes of exceptions and scope of the directives. 

The opinion from the industry is communicated to Orgalime which is the European federation of national industry associations representing the European mechanical, electrical, electronic and metal articles industries.

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