RoHS: BeST submits comments to RoHS Consultation on revised (draft) methodology

In February 2018, the European Commission announced that it had commissioned Oeko Institut to conduct another substance review project under the RoHS Directive.

Oeko Institut has recently launched a stakeholder consultation, with deadline on 21 December 2018, with the aim of receiving input and comments on the revised manual (draft) methodology to identify and assess substances for possible restriction under the RoHS Directive. This consultation follows a previous one aiming at gathering information on single substances, including beryllium.

BeST has submitted comments highlighting the importance of limiting the assessment to substances actually present in EEE and the importance of a risk-based approach when assessing potential restriction. Moreover, BeST does not support the grouping of substances and the use of the most hazardous substance of the group as prioritisation benchmark as this is illogical and not justified by sound scientific evidence.

As other associations involved in EEE and concerned by the RoHS directive, BeST highlights that the development of the methodology should be performed first, before the selection of 7 substances to assess, not the contrary. BeST also draws the attention of legislators to the trade impacts of RoHS beyond the EU on the world market, and requests that this global dimension is considered with sufficient attention.

Read BeST’s comments: