Global Issues

Call to Action on the Restricition on Hazardous Susbstances (RoHS) Review

View the Call to Action on the RoHS Review as a PDF

The Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive impacted every facet of the supply chain and forced the electronics industry to make enormous, expensive and burdensome changes, forever transforming the electronics industry landscape.

The European Union (EU) is currently revising the RoHS directive and may restrict additional substances, create additional compliance requirements and make the exemption process more burdensome. Contact EU Council and Parliament officials now to prevent unwarranted RoHS regulations. Encourage EU officials to base their decisions on science and ensure the final revised RoHS Directive does not restrict Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), the flame retardant used in more than 80 percent of printed circuits.

If TBBPA is added to RoHS, the EU will have initiated a troublesome precedent of restricting a substance for political instead of scientific reasons. TBBPA has undergone a comprehensive EU risk assessment that determined it to be safe for the environment and human health. The Okö Institut, private consultants hired by the EU Commission, identified TBBPA for possible restriction under RoHS. Through the efforts of IPC and other industry
representatives, the Commission was persuaded to rely upon science and keep TBBPA off of the list of substances for priority assessment under RoHS.

Unfortunately, TBBPA may still be added to RoHS and become a restricted substance. The EU legislative procedure allows the Parliament and Council to propose amendments to RoHS, including restricting the use of critical substances used in electronics, such as TBBPA.It is vital for the electronics industry to adamantly oppose any recommendation torestrict TBBPA on the basis that there is no science to support its restriction.

Industry involvement in the RoHS review is vital. Companies are urged to answer the call to action and aggressively lobby the EU Council and Parliament to base theirdecisions on science and ensure the final revised RoHS Directive does not add TBBPA. EU officials are politicians and not scientists. It is your responsibility to educate EU officials on the issues and lay the groundwork before they decide their final position on the proposed RoHS revisions. By persuading officials to understand our issues, they are much more likely to vote with your concerns in mind.

Take action and show your concern about the EU RoHS revisions