The current RoHS directive will be replaced by Directive 2011/65/EU on 3 January 2013, also knows as RoHS 2, or the RoHS Recast. Many major changes have been enacted, including

• Expanded scope
  • Medical devices and monitoring and control instruments come into scope as early as 22 July 2014
  • In vitro medical devices come into scope as of 22 July 2016
  • Industrial monitoring and control instruments come into scope as of 22 July 2017
  • Other electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) not covered by any of the existing 10 product categories come into scope as of 22 July 2019

• Broader definitions
  • Electrical and electronic equipment, or EEE, means equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields and designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1000 volts for alternating current and 1500 volts for direct current.
  • “Dependent” means, with regard to EEE, needing electric currents or electromagnetic fields to fulfill at least one intended function.
    • A greeting card that plays a tune or a toy teddy bear that talks would now be in scope of the directive

• Increased documentation requirements
  • Formal Declaration of Compliance – declare it
  • Conformity assessment and Technical Documentation, on file and available to enforcement agents for 10 years – prove it
  • CE marking to signify RoHS compliance required – show it

What can DCA Do for You?

DCA can help you learn about and manage the impact of these, and other, EU directives and plan your transition to compliance. From identifying and managing your suppliers' RoHS compliance roadmaps, to updating key design and procurement supplier and component-related business processes, to identifying and configuring a systems solution that tracks material composition, to identifying and resolving potential and actual technical back-end risks, we can do it all. And with our partners, including EPTAC, we can do even more! Please contact us for more information.

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