Guides

The U.K. government has issued its final guidelines implementing the European Commission's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in that nation, and it looks as though the country has been more friendly to industry than some other jurisdictions in the European Union.

With the July 1 Restriction of Hazardous Substances deadline now passed, manufacturers are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Most are compliant with the directive. Yet questions persist over what the European Union's enforcement will entail.

Think the European Union's RoHS directive has affected everyone in the supply chain at the same level? Think again.

Pierre Lucas, director of public policy, SEMI Europe, disclosed that several of the 25 member companies involved in the European environmental policy commission may not meet the August 13, 2004, deadline for compliance with the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Restriction of Hazardous Substances directives.

Electronic News sat down with industry expects to discuss the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, the industry's progress and what will happen in the next seven months as the July 1, 2006, deadline nears.

Those engineers buying parts for maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) haven't worried much about the switch to lead-free parts. Yet, MRO engineers are beginning to find that the industry move to RoHS compliance has sneaked into their supply chain and changed their parts.

Legions of enforcers did not swoop in to raid electronics companies on July 1 as the European Union's Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive went into effect. Indeed, most companies appeared to be prepared, or took steps to enforce the rules on themselves.

Lead-free is taking hold in China's electronics manufacturing, while a broader set of "green" regulations are being studied at the national level.