On January 26, 2023, the European Commission issued Directive (EU) 2023/171 in its Official Journal (OJ), amending the relevant exemption items in Annex III of the EU RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU), and adding the exemption provisions on hexavalent chromium in Item 9 (a) - III. The exemption will take effect on September 1, 2023 and will be valid until December 31, 2026.

This update is as follows:

Regarding the RoHS directive exemption clause

1. The European Union RoHS Directive is the European Union directive restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in electronic and electrical equipment, which aims to protect human health and the environment. The exemption clause is an important part of the EU RoHS Directive, that is, if certain provisions are met, even if the material does not meet the RoHS limit requirements, it can be put on the EU market.

2. It should be noted that the exemption is not always valid. Each clause of RoHS exemption has a corresponding period of validity. According to 2011/65/EU, relevant enterprises and organizations can submit relevant applications 18 months in advance for extending the exemption period, revising the limit or other amendments to the existing exemption terms.

3. For the exemption clauses that have been applied for, the European Commission will generally set a new deadline for exemption, or reject the request, and grant a transition period of at least 12 months and at most 18 months from the date of publication of the Commission's decision. On the contrary, the exemption clauses that have not submitted the application will expire on the deadline.

Warm tips

The revision of EU RoHS exemption clauses has a great impact on the electronic and electrical industries, especially the extension of some exemption clauses frequently used by enterprises may directly affect the production process and business activities of enterprises. In order to ensure the compliance of entering the EU market, ZRLK suggests that relevant enterprises should always pay attention to the update of the exemption clauses of RoHS Directive, reasonably arrange the production plan and material substitution matters, and avoid the compliance problems of products exported to Europe due to the expiration of the exemption. Our company has a professional technical team and rich experience in the control of hazardous substances, which can help you easily understand whether the product is safe and compliant. If you need, please feel free to contact us, and our engineers will serve you at the first time!