RoHS Review Fails to Restrict New Substances but Creates Opportunity for a Future Ban on Brominated Flame Retardants and PVC

26-Nov-2010 - Sweden

The review of the EU RoHS Directive, restricting the use of hazardous substances in electronics, has failed to add any new chemicals to those already restricted under the directive. EU legislators did not add a list of substances to be prioritised for future restrictions. The European Parliament voted for a compromise with the European Commission and the Council of Ministers regarding the review of the RoHS directive.

"It is disappointing to note that the review of RoHS does not add a single new substance to the directive", says ChemSec project coordinator Frida Hök. "This in spite of the fact that the electronics industry is moving away from chemicals causing severe problems, such as brominated flame retardants and PVC."

However, the review does include a methodology for identification of substances for future restrictions under RoHS. The methodology focuses on the waste and end-of-life phase. It states that substances which, under current operational conditions in the e-waste sector, could give raise to hazardous transformation products should be restricted in RoHS. Brominated flame retardants and PVC, when incinerated at insufficiently high temperatures, produce very hazardous dioxins and furans.

"We welcome this strong methodology which includes brominated flame retardants and PVC and opens up the possibility of future restrictions on these substances under RoHS", says ChemSec project coordinator Frida Hök.

The European Commission will apply the new methodology to HBCDD and three phtalates within three years of the revised RoHS Directive entering into force. The legal text states that during this period the Commission "should re-investigate the substances, which were subject to previous assessments".

The substances are not specified in the legal text. However, the EU-commissioned Öko-Institute report from 2008 lists a range of hazardous chemicals in electronic goods, including brominated flame retardants and PVC. ChemSec believes the Commission should use this report to prioritize chemicals for assessment under the new methodology.

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