EU RoHS
June 20, 2018 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.
Critical Updates to EU RoHS-2 Exemptions
Multiple RoHS-2 Exemptions Extended or Redefined
Several exemptions under the EU RoHS-2 regulation have been updated or extended by the European Commission.
On May 18, the European Commission updated and published the following exemptions in the EU Official Journal:
| Exemption | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Exemption 6(a) | Extended and Redefined. Newly created exemption 6(a)-I has been implemented. New definitions become mandatory on July 1, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/739) | Link |
| Exemption 6(b) | Extended and Redefined. Due to this change, new exemptions 6(b)-I, and 6(b)-II have been implemented. The new exemption definitions become mandatory on July 1, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/740) | Link |
| Exemption 6(c) | Extended until July 21, 2021 for most categories, July 21, 2023 for category 8 in-vitro devices, and July 21, 2024 for category 9 and 11 devices. The new exemption definitions become mandatory on July 1, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/741) | Link |
| Exemption 7(a) | Extended until July 21, 2021 for most categories, July 21, 2023 for category 8 in-vitro devices, and July 21, 2024 for category 9 and 11 devices. The new exemption definitions become mandatory on July 1, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/742) | Link |
| Exemption 7(c)-I | Extended until July 21, 2021 for most categories, July 21, 2023 for category 8 in-vitro devices, and July 21, 2024 for category 9 and 11 devices. The new exemption definitions become mandatory on July 1, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/736) | Link |
| Exemption 24 | Extended until July 21, 2021 for most categories, July 21, 2023 for category 8 in-vitro devices, and July 21, 2024 for category 9 and 11 devices. The new exemption definitions become mandatory on July 1, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/737) | Link |
| Exemption 34 | Extended until July 21, 2021 for most categories, July 21, 2023 for category 8 in-vitro devices, and July 21, 2024 for category 9 and 11 devices. The new exemption definitions become mandatory on July 1, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/738) | Link |
These updates follow the update of Exemption 39(a), which was published to the EU Official Journal on October 31, 2017:
| Exemption | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Exemption 39(a) | Expires October 31, 2019. (Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/1975) | Link |
Producers relying on these exemptions to demonstrate compliance to the EU RoHS-2 regulation should review these changes for impacts to the compliance status of affected products.
The last prior set of exemption extensions/updates, known as "Pack 7," was announced in June 2017. A detailed explanation of exemptions can be found in our blog from January 2017. View the EU RoHS-2 website with exemption updates online here.
GreenSoft Keeps Track of RoHS-2 Exemptions So You Don’t Have To
Updates and exemptions to regulations occur regularly. With the status and timing of exemption extensions unknown, compliance can be a continually moving target.
Affected companies using parts or materials that utilize expiring exemptions should immediately begin finding replacements and phasing out the use of those parts or materials.
GreenSoft can help with this process, including the sourcing of replacement parts. We can help you collect the substance data on your parts and format the data to meet the due diligence and documentation requirements of RoHS-2 and EN 50581. Learn more about our RoHS-2 Services or contact us today to get started!