Details of the RoHS Recast

In an article on EDN, a Design News sister publication, Managing Editor, Suzanne Deffree, interviewed Premier Farnell’s Gary Nevison about the recast of RoHS directive.

The article notes that he changes to the scope are significant. Nevison explains that ne of the proposals is that there will be a Category 11; there are now 10 categories, although categories 8 and 9 [medical and monitoring-and-control instruments, respectively] are yet to be implemented in the original ROHS. Category 11 would be defined as all electrical and electronic equipment, unless specifically excluded. Not all member states agree-certainly, the United Kingdom is one that does not agree-because they feel this [step] should not go ahead without a full risk assessment. This [development] will happen whether they like it or not, so the United Kingdom, for example, is now lobbying for more exclusions. ROHS will become an open-scope directive, including all equipment unless otherwise excluded.