Stakeholder consultation on three exemptions

Gary Nevison, Premier Farnell.

UK: The European Commission is consulting (from 20 September until 15 November) on whether or not to extend the exemptions from a ban on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment under the RoHS Directive. Two relate to lead and the third to cadmium:

Exemption 30: “Cadmium alloys as electrical / mechanical solder joints to electrical conductors located directly on the voice coil in transducers used in high-powered loudspeakers with sound pressure levels of 100 db (A) and more”

Exemption 31: “Lead in soldering materials in mercury in mercury free flat fluorescent lamps (which e.g. are used in liquid crystal displays, design or
industrial lighting).

Exemption 32: Lead oxide in seal frit used for making window assemblies for Argon and Krypton laser tubes.

The revised RoHS Annex agreed by the RoHS Technical Adaptation Committee (TAC) in May 2010 is not yet in force but will replace the current Annex when published in the official journal of the EU.