Directive Decoder

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published a first draft of substances that could eventually lead to tough authorisation requirements that will potentially prohibit their use unless industry can indicate there is a compelling reason to allow them.

Each entry on the so called "candidate list" of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) has been put forward by a government in the European Union. The list includes three phthalates and the brominated flame retardant HBCDD. 

The ECHA has opened a public consultation on the list - the first to be held around the operation and implementation of the REACH Regulations - in which stakeholders will be encouraged to submit information on use and exposure as well as on safer alternative substances. Comments should be confined to technical issues.

The European Commission has published details of eco-design requirements in respect of the standby and off mode power consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment.

A preparatory study showed that products with standby and off mode are placed on the EU market in large volumes. It was estimated that 3.7 billion products had standby / off mode in 2005 corresponding to costs in electricity usage of €6.4 billion while actually in standby / off mode, or 47 TWh (Terra-Watt hours). By 2020 it is anticipated there will be 4.6 billion products. Clearly the environmental impact of electricity consumption in standby / off mode is significant.

Each year, in the UK, households throw away almost 30 million tonnes of waste.

That's the same as 4.3 million African elephants or 109,000 of the world's largest passenger aircraft - the Airbus A380

Directive Decoder

Oko Institut were originally aiming to publish their much awaited findings on the review of RoHS scope by June 4^th.

Some 6 weeks late I thought I would contact them for an update.

A spokesperson told me that they are discussing the report with the European Commission and some open points still need to be clarified. They hope to publish the final report within the "next weeks" I was told.

Not before your summer holidays then!

Directive Decoder

While there has been debate around the difference in approach of REACH and RoHS to substance restrictions, REACH is unlikely to "swallow RoHS up".

Industry was said to favour the REACH approach during consultations around substance restrictions as part of the review of the scope of RoHS undertaken by Oko Institut on behalf of the European Commission.