The European Commission´s proposal for a recast of the RoHS Directive will be on the agenda under the Swedish EU presidency. A decision of the European Council and the Parliament concerning the directive is anticipated during the autumn of 2009.

An orientation debate on RoHS will be held at the Environment council meeting on 21 October. See the live Council debate.

Information on the website of the Swedish Presidency: Avoiding hazardous substances in the everyday environment affects everyone.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) is of the opinion that the directive has had a great impact on the phasing out of dangerous substances in electronics, which involves the development of legislation on electronics worldwide.

KemI's position on the proposal includes:

• The scope of RoHS should cover all electronics.
• Medical-technical products and surveillance and control equipment should be included in RoHS.
• The method to regulate particularly dangerous substances in RoHS should be easier than in REACH, considering the extended possibilities to exemptions proposed in RoHS.
• The priority list (Annex III) is anticipated to have a positive effect on substitution of listed substances. A procedure should be decided on how to add substances to the list.
• Particularly dangerous substances on the priority list should be transferred to the list of banned substances in connection with the recast.
• The proposal to include additional criteria for exemptions, such as socio-economic consider­ations, gives rise to the risk of diminishing sub­stitution of dangerous substances in electronics.
• Particular risks to the environment and human health of substances in nano form should be considered.

EU legislation

Waste electric and electronic equipment - DG Environment webpage information and links to legislation.

Proposal of the EC for a revcast of the directive.

Swedish regulations implementing directive 2002/95/EC:

• The Chemical Products (Handling, Import, and Export Prohibitions) Ordinance (1998:944).
• The Ordinance (2005:209) on producer responsibility for electric and electronic products.
• The Chemical Products and Biotechnical Organisms Regulations (KIFS 2008:2).

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is the responsible authority for Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment.