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From:
"Whittaker, Dewey (AZ75)" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
(Leadfree Electronics Assembly Forum)
Date:
Mon, 13 Feb 2006 09:15:29 -0700
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Is that the Prose and cons of this issue?
Dewey 

-----Original Message-----
From: Leadfree [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brian Ellis
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 9:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] On the immutability of bad laws

You sound like Ogden Nash, when he wrote:

They told me it couldn't be done.
With a smile I went right to it,
I tackled that job that couldn't be done But couldn't do it!

:-)

Brian


Harvey Miller wrote:
> Brian
>
> You have described a plausible but mechanistic scenario that might be 
> altered by many factors now imponderable. When electronic equipment 
> failure rates start climbing, along with litigation, and bright 
> reporters really start to investigate--- new possibilities emerge.
>
> Then there will be a host of exempted equipment categories.
> We'll have a kind of controlled experiment. The minimal result will be

> strenghening the exempion process, extending exemptions to more and 
> more categories.
>
> As you point out, the trade and professional institutions caved or 
> worse, under fear of being perceived as anti-environmental.  The tin 
> industry has poured money into the lead-free initiative and will 
> continue to do so.  There are many lead-free laws being enacted.  All 
> of these are very impressive negatives for reversing lead-free solder 
> course. But none of them reverse the laws of physics.
>
>
>
> --- Brian Ellis <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm sorry, Harvey, I AM resigned to the inevitability, much as I 
>>regret it. I agree with you that non-compliance is ill-treated in the 
>>EU, whose workings seem obscure to you. Let me explain the MO of what 
>>could happen. Nothing can happen before 1 July 2006, I think you will
agree.
>>Let us imagine that manufacturer or importer X puts on the market a 
>>lead-soldered product in member-state A which does not have a good 
>>control mechanism (ie, is non-compliant). Nothing will happen, until a

>>single unit is transferred to another member-state B who zealously 
>>does a control because of no certificate of compliance or a falsified 
>>one. He will turn the unit back at the frontier and notify the 
>>non-compliance to A who, in turn, should rattle the ribs of X. B will 
>>also notify the EU, who will do nothing, at this stage, other than to 
>>warn all the other 23 states that this problem exists and to enjoin A 
>>to do something. At this stage, X will either comply, letting A off
the hook or he won't comply.
>>If the latter, any transfer of goods from X to any other member state 
>>will receive particular scrutiny. If found to be non-compliant and the

>>goods are rejected a second time, the procedure will be stepped up a 
>>notch and the EU will send A a stiff letter telling them to get their 
>>finger out and to provide proof that X is compliant to A's law, based 
>>on the directive, giving them a delay of 1 year for A to show that 
>>they now have the necessary controls in place. If this is not 
>>forthcoming, a second, stiffer, letter is sent out giving A 6 months
to comply or else.
>>If this does not happen, then the EU prepares a file to take the case 
>>before the ECJ. It would be unlikely that the ECJ would have received 
>>such a file before 2010 and, as is well-known, the backlog of the ECJ 
>>is such that the case will not be heard before 2015. Let's imagine 
>>that X and A present a strong argument why they have not complied and 
>>the Court says the Directive is stupid (which it is). What do you 
>>think will happen? X will continue to use 63/37 for his soldering (if 
>>he can find a
>>supplier!) but the 99.9999% of other manufacturers supplying the EU 
>>who have complied are not suddenly going to rub their hands together 
>>and say, "Ooooh! Let's go back to SnPb!", are they, after 9+ years of 
>>compliance? Especially knowing that China, Japan and some US States 
>>will have similar laws, by then, and probably elsewhere.
>>
>>If you allow me to mix impossible metaphors, you are tilting at 
>>windmills with your head in the sand if you think, for one moment, 
>>that lead-free is not a fait accompli in the EU and that you can 
>>reverse the situation. It is too late. If the IPC, EIPC and other 
>>trade organisations had put their heads together with the learned 
>>institutes like the IEE, IEEE etc about 5 or 6 years ago and invested 
>>money and resources into combatting the situation, then something may 
>>have been achieved, but this did not happen. In fact, these 
>>organisations mostly quietly acquiesced (pleonasm!) or even supported 
>>it under the pressure of vested interests.
>>
>>As for the WTO, it would be laughable to think that they would bend, 
>>knowing that the EU, Japan and China form a powerful camp promoting 
>>lead-free solder, along with the countries with a vested interest, 
>>such as the tin producers.
>>
>>In short, reason, goodwill, logical arguments or whatever are not 
>>going to change a jot, regrettable though it may be.
>>
>>Sorry, but the time has come to accept defeat :-(
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Brian
>>
>>
>>
>>Harvey Miller wrote:
>>
>>>Brian
>>>
>>>You surprise me with your resignation to the "inevitability "
>>>of the enforcement of the lead-free solder provisions of RoHS.
>>>I urge you and all to study the following document:
>>>    Department of Political Science
>>>    November 19 1999, Lund, Sweden
>>>    Author:     Jonas Tallberg
>>>    Title and subtitle:     Making States Comply: The European
>>>Commission, the European Court of Justice, and the Enforcement of the

>>>Internal Market
>>>
>>>Dr. Talberg documents the prevalence of non-compliance with EU 
>>>Parliament laws.  You pick one case; he studies many. His point of 
>>>view is that non-compliance is a problem, an issue that must be 
>>>resolved for the sake of the viability of the European Union.
>>>I believe that, in principle, he is correct, because the world needs 
>>>a countervailing force to one superpower.  But lead-free solder is an

>>>exceptional law, above all because it would destroy the reliability 
>>>of all electronic equipment.  Recycling as required by another, more 
>>>sensible EU law-- WEEE, is the way to separate lead from people.
>>>
>>>I do not agree with Joe Fjelstad that reason and goodwill will
>>
>>overcome
>>
>>>those political motivations that you so cynically describe.  I think
>>
>>that
>>
>>>the resolution of lead-free solder will be found in realpolitik, its 
>>>unworkability, uneforceability, above all, ite inequity.  Theae are 
>>>the factors that will force re-examination of the issue, ultimately.

>>>That may happen in the EU Pariament, or the European Court of 
>>>Justice, or the World Trade Commission, or just the court of public 
>>>opinion.
>>>
>>>In 1920, the Volstead Act, banning alcoholic beverages, became the
>>
>>18th
>>
>>>amendment to the U.S. constitution, over the President's veto. It was

>>>repealed in 1933.
>>>For 13 years, enforcement was a joke, sapping respect for all laws, 
>>>feeding crime.  I do not believe that it will take
>>>13 years for the equally insane ban on lead in electronic solder law
>>
>>to
>>
>>>meet its ultimate fate, death.
>>>
>>>Harvey Miller
>>>
>>>
>>>--- Brian Ellis <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Joe
>>>>
>>>>You speak in tongues. To use words like "intelligence", "reasoning"
>>
>>and
>>
>>>>"rational" in the same breath as "politicians" (of ANY nation or 
>>>>group
>>>>thereof) is a paradox. To use them with the EU in mind is a 
>>>>downright contradiction. Just analyse why someone chooses a career 
>>>>in politics,
>>
>>be
>>
>>>>it as a village councillor or as a president/prime minister. The 
>>>>words that spring to mind are "gravy train", "glory", "influence",
>>
>>"respect",
>>
>>>>"money", "corruption". The words farthest from the mind are 
>>>>"constituent", "democracy", "honesty", "representation", "people", 
>>>>"welfare". I have met many politicians in many countries, some of 
>>>>them high-ranking. I would say that their first care is ensuring 
>>>>continuity by re-election and thus security. Their second care is 
>>>>nearly always, what is in it for me? There may be exceptions, but 
>>>>they are rare
>>
>>birds.
>>
>>>>In the case of EU politicians, they are even more remote from the
>>
>>people
>>
>>>>they purport to represent, they will vote the most outrageous laws,
>>
>>such
>>
>>>>as the maximum curvature of cucumbers (this is not a joke).
>>>>
>>>>This may appear "sad" and cynical, but it is something I have to 
>>>>live with in my everyday life. Do you know how many regulatory 
>>>>instances
>>
>>have
>>
>>>>been introduced in the EU? 10 years ago, it was over 80,000, 
>>>>certainly doubled by now.
>>>>
>>>>Take the Constitution of the USA. It has 7 articles over 4
>>
>>hand-written
>>
>>>>pages, with 27 subsequent amendments. Take the proposed Constitution
>>
>>of
>>
>>>>the EU, as rejected, rightly, by France and the Netherlands. It is a

>>>>closely-printed book 5 cm thick. Even the very abbreviated summary 
>>>>at http://europa.eu.int/constitution/download/oth180604_3_en.pdf is 
>>>>15 pages long and tells almost nothing, other than it may be 
>>>>modified by
>>
>>a
>>
>>>>unanimous decision of the EC after consultation and ratification.
>>>>Democracy? All my eye and Betty Martin!
>>>>
>>>>No, I don't believe there will be a blind eye turned to minor 
>>>>infractions. Why? Because the ECJ has the power to inflict swingeing

>>>>fines on hundreds of thousands of euros per day on member states 
>>>>that
>>
>>do
>>
>>>>not ensure the directives are adequately enforced. This is a regular

>>>>procedure. For example, a private landfill (small) owner on a Greek 
>>>>island did not respect the Greek law promulgated according to a EU 
>>>>directive. Greece was fined, I think EUR 50,000/day until they could

>>>>show that the landfill was modifified according to the law or 
>>>>rendered inoperational.
>>>>
>>>>Brian
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Joe Fjelstad wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>In a message dated 2/11/2006 7:52:41 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
>>>>>[log in to unmask] writes:
>>>>>
>>>>>Once a  law has been passed, it would require little less than a 
>>>>>nuclear bomb to  cause it to be broken up, no
>>>>
>>>>matter
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>how ill-conceived it may  be.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Hi Brian,
>>>>>
>>>>>That is a sad statement Hopefully there will be an easier
>>>>
>>>>accommodation. It
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>may be that it will just be treated like speed limits in the US  
>>>>>;-)
>>>>>
>>>>>Still, considering all of the fantastic thinkers and scientists 
>>>>>that
>>>>
>>>>Europe
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>has blessed this planet with, I must remain an optimist with the
>>
>>faith
>>
>>>>that
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>science and reason will eventually prevail in one of their most
>>>>
>>>>recognizable
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>birthplaces and homelands. I trust that the genetic heritage of
>>>>
>>>>intelligence
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>and  reasoning cannot really be lost and that we are likely just
>>>>
>>>>presently
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>living in  one of the troughs of the ebb and flow of rational
>>>>
>>>>thinking...  ;-)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Very best,
>>>>>Joe
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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>>
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>>>
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>>
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