Directive Decoder

The RoHS Recast Directive 2011/65/EU includes new obligations around CE marking.

In a nutshell a Declaration-of-Conformity (DoC) is required for products in scope. Generally that would refer to finished equipment and the format of the DoC is outlined in Annex 6 of the Directive.

Components, as per the original RoHS directive, are not in scope but clearly need to be compliant when used in finished goods.

Industry should continue to collect a certificate-of-compliance covering components as before.

As we continue to report, the RoHS Recast Directive 2011/65/EU requires a Declaration of Conformity, and a CE mark to be affixed on the products for all finished products in scope of the RoHS Recast and placed on the market after 2 January 2013.

The CE mark on a product means that the product conforms to all CE marking directives that apply to it but is does not specifically identify that a product is compliant with the Recast.

The CE mark indicates that the manufacturer of the product declares that the product was compliant with all CE marking directives that applied to the product at the time it was first placed on the market.

Directive Decoder

The European Commission has awarded a contract to BIO Intelligence Service, supported by ERA Technology to carry out an impact assessment on the RoHS Recast 2011/65/EU.

The study will include scope, category 11 products, definitions (such as large-scale fixed installations and homogeneous material) as well a review of costs and benefits.

For a comprehensive summary see below:

RoHS2 study

Directive Decoder

The European Commission has begun its work on the RoHS impact study being carried out on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive (2011/65/EU)  in electrical and electronic equipment.

As part of this review the product scope is expected to be widened, including new product categories that were previously excluded. Examples would include:

Category 7-toys leisure and sports equipment now includes "toys with minor electrical function" such as talking teddy bears.

We receive many questions around the status of various cables in respect to the RoHS Recast.

This sits with the RoHS Frequently Ask Question committee at present to provide guidance.

Their opinion is that HDMI, USB and AV cables and the like are finished Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) and so should be CE marked and a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) provided.

It seems that all European Member States agree on this.

However, come manufacturers are unhappy with this and are lobbying for changes, but it is likely that these types of cable connector will always be regarded as finished EEE.

With thanks to Dr Paul Goodman of ERA Technology

Directive Decoder