In my previous posting I commented on the apparent lack of progress being made by EU member states in passing legislation enabling the RoHS directive. My thanks to Dan Kallin for directing forum participants to the75-page Perchards report, which does give some information (not much since the focus of the report is WEEE) for the twenty-four member states other than the UK. It is a .pdf file dated September, 2004,  <http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/Perchards_Report_September04.pdf> http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/Perchards_Report_September04.pdf. Perhaps a RoHS-focused report will be issued later. Certainly more information is needed by organizations that are going to have to make decisions very soon on how to comply with all these individual countries' laws.

The information extracted below (on just nine countries) is based on a search of the text for "RoHS". There is no reference to the text of the RoHS-enabling legislation for any country. It looks as if Greece is the winner in crossing the finish line, and Finland second (just in time for inclusion in the report but after the EU's 13 August deadline). There isn't enough information available to determine if the Netherlands is in third place (no date is given, and it's not clear that the information is correct). 

I find it particularly interesting that the countries that have appeared most openly "green" (Germany and Scandinavia) are hardly in the running. With this lack of enthusiasm being evidenced by virtually all of the EU member states' parliaments, one has to wonder how much support the Brussels bureaucrats really have for their scheme. Perhaps Brian will have some insight here as to what this all means. Clearly RoHS is not at the top of anyone's list of concerns (other than the victims).

Finland - The Ordinance on the Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Materials in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, transposing the RoHS Directive, was adopted by the Government on 9 September.

France - The draft Decree (Décret relatif a la prévention et a la gestion des déchets d'équipements électriques et électroniques) transposes the broad lines of the WEEE and RoHS Directives. Detailed provisions will be implemented through ministerial orders which have yet to be prepared.

Greece - Presidential Decree no. 117 transposing the WEEE and RoHS Directives is now in place. It was published in Government Gazette No. A82 on 5 March 2004.

Ireland - favors self-reporting for RoHS compliance.

Italy - work on draft legislation is in progress.

Luxembourg - draft law awaiting parliamentary approval.

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Netherlands - the WEEE Management Decree transposes the RoHS Directive (sic).

Sweden - draft ordinance being circulated.

 

Gordon Davy
Baltimore, MD
[log in to unmask]
410-993-7399



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Leadfee Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Leadfree
To temporarily stop/(start) delivery of Leadree for vacation breaks send: SET Leadfree NOMAIL/(MAIL)
Search previous postings at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------