INTRODUCTION to the RoHS DIRECTIVE
In accordance with International Standards, on January 27, 2003 the European Union issued Directive 2011/65/EU incl. 2015/863/EU, also known by the acronym RoHS 2.0, limiting the use of dangerous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and Directive 2012/19/EU, known by the acronym of RAEE, setting the criteria for the collection and recycling of electronic and electrical equipment waste. The latter directive have been enforced in Italy by Legislative Decree n. n.49 del 14/03/2014.
FORBIDDEN SUBSTANCES
Per the RoHS Directive, as of July 1, 2006 the following substances must not be present, in quantities exceeding those permitted by law, in electronic and electrical equipment on the European market:
– Lead (Pb)
– Mercury (Hg)
– Cadmium (Cd)
– Hexavalent Chrome (Cr6+)
– Biphenyl Polybromide (PBB)
– Ethers of Diphenyl Polybromide (PBDE)
PRODUCTS COVERED BY THE DIRECTIVE
The RoHS Directive applies to electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) listed in Annex 1A:
· Large household appliances;
· Small household appliances;
· IT and telecommunications equipment;
· Consumer equipment;
· Lighting equipment including incandescent lamps;
· Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools);
· Toys, leisure and sports equipment;
· Automatic dispensers. According to the RoHS Directive, ‘electrical and electronic equipment’ or ‘EEE’ refers to equipment that fall under the aforementioned categories and require an electrical current or electromagnetic field for proper functioning and equipment designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1000 volts/ alternating current and 1500 volts/ direct current that are used to generate, transfer or measure such currents and fields. While the RoHS Directive applies only to final products and not to specific components as such, a product can be deemed RoHS compliant only if all the components comprised therein comply with the RoHS Directive.
“ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET”
Goods are considered to be “on the European market” when imported onto the European market or manufactured/ made available within the European market. The RoHS Directive applies only to EEE (as defined above) that have been put “on the European market” after July 1st 2006. Therefore, following the deadline of July 1, 2006, non-RoHS-compliant EEE may be sold as long as they were imported or produced within the European market previous to the July 1, 2006 cut-off.
EXEMPT PRODUCTS
GENERAL EXEMPTIONS The following six categories of products are exempt from the application of the RoHS Directive*:
· Equipment connected to the protection of the essential security interests of Member States;
· Arms, munitions and war material intended specifically for military purposes;
· Large scale stationary industrial tools;
· Medical devices;
· Measuring instruments;
· Large household fixed appliances; *Spare/maintenance parts for electrical/electronic products that were put on the European market before July 1, 2006 are also to be considered as part of this “exempt” category.
These exemptions that are continuously updated concern specific substances in connection with particular uses or applications: · MERCURY
In compact fluorescent lamps not exceeding 5mg per lamp.
In straight fluorescent lamps for general purposes not exceeding
– halophosphate 10 mgù;
– triphosphate with normal lifetime, 5mg;
– triphosphate with long lifetime, 8mg.
In straight fluorescent lamps for special purposes.
In other lamps not specifically mentioned in this Annex (incandescent and domestic lamps.) · LEAD
In glass of cathode ray tubes, electronic components and fluorescent tubes. As an alloy element in steel containing up to 0,35% lead by weight, aluminium containing up to 0,4 % lead by weight and as a copper alloy element containing up to 4% lead by weight.
In soldering metals with high melting temperature (i.e. tin-lead solder alloys containing more than 85% lead);
lead in solders for servers, storage and storage array systems (exemption granted until 2010);
lead in solders for network infrastructure equipment for switching, signalling, transmission as well as telecommunication network management;
lead in electronic ceramic parts (e.g. piezoelectronic devices). · CADMIUM PLATING
Except for applications banned under Directive 91/338/EEC (1) amending Directive 76/769/EEC (2) relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations. · HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM
As an anti-corrosive plating for carbon steel cooling systems in absorption refrigerators.
BESPECO’S POLICY
Bespeco Professional s.r.l. is committed to providing quality products that are in full compliance with the RoHS Directive. The information Bespeco provides regarding a product’s compliance is based upon Suppliers’ declarations. Bespeco provides no specific guarantee regarding the accuracy of such declarations outside of what the suppliers have explicitly stated. Finally, to keep our clients apprised of the RoHS status of all of our line items, Bespeco has created a coding system that communicates RoHS status at a glance! Below are the easy-to-read symbols that you will find on our website: For those products not yet marked with a symbol, we invite our clients to contact our office to verify RoHS compliance!