Commentary provided by Leigh Holloway, eco3, data partner with Compliance & Risks
Umweltbundesamt, the Austrian Environment Agency, has finalized a list of substances facing restriction under the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Recast Directive 2011/65/EU in a report complied on behalf of the European Commission.
The report confirms the recommendation to include phthalates DEHP, DBP, and BBP as well as flame retardant HBCDD in annex II of the Directive (restricted substances). Restricting these four substances in electrical and electronic equipment would bring environmental benefits, improve waste management with limited additional costs.
The detailed assessment of another phthalate, DiBP, has yet to be completed by the Oeko Institute. DiBP is similar to DBP, so it is likely that it will need to be restricted otherwise users could simply switch from one to the other.
A further 56 substances have been recommended for future review. The review process is unclear, but it is likely that they would be considered in smaller batches rather than all 56 in one go.
The timescales for the initial four substances to enter in to the scope of the Directive is unknown, but it is most likely to be within the next 4 years.
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