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June 8, 2010

EP Committee Adds Nanosilver and Long Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes to Proposed RoHS Recast

Lynn L. Bergeson

On June 2, 2010, the European Parliament (EP) Committee on the Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety approved the proposed recast of the Directive on the Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, with 55 votes in favor, one against, and two abstentions. The Committee adopted amendments adding nanosilver and long multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) to Annex IV, despite the fact that nanomaterials were not included in earlier proposals. In effect, there would be no threshold, with equipment prohibited from the market if it contained either nanosilver or long MWCNTs at “detectable levels.” The Committee also adopted amendments that require equipment containing nanomaterials to be labeled, and for manufacturers to be required to provide safety data on the nanomaterials to the European Commission (EC). The Committee voted in favor of an “open scope,” meaning that the RoHS Directive would apply to all electrical equipment, unless specifically excluded. The EP plenary vote on the amended proposal is scheduled for July 2010.