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ERA has been awarded a contract by the European Commission to carry out a review of Directive 2002/95/EC, the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive. The main aim will be to determine if Category 8 (medical devices) and Category 9 (monitoring and control instruments) products can be included within its scope. These were excluded from RoHS when the Directive was originally adopted by the EU due to concerns over safety and reliability.
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This review will provide data on the volume of Category 8 and 9 products that are placed on the EU market and identify where the six hazardous substances are used. Where restricted substances are present, ERA will establish the quantities involved and determine whether or not viable alternative substances or designs are available to maintain safety and reliability for specific applications.
Category 8 has a broad scope as indicated by Annex IB of Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE) and includes all types of medical equipment. The scope of Category 9, as listed in this Annex, is currently more limited and will be reviewed to ensure it is clear and appropriate for the RoHS Directive.
The results of ERA’s review will be used by the European Commission to prepare a proposal to be made to the European Parliament and the Council, which will act in co-decision to amend the RoHs Directive.
ERA would be pleased to hear from manufacturers, trade associations and NGOs (etc) who would like to contribute to this review and in particular manufacturers of equipment that contain restricted substances that cannot currently be replaced by other materials or by a design change.
For more information, please contact Dr. Paul Goodman at ERA Technology by telephone : +44 (0) 1372 367221 or email: paul.goodman@era.co.uk.
About ERA Technology Ltd
ERA Technology works at the leading edge of many advanced technologies. The business was founded in 1920 and today provides specialist, high value-added, technology-based services including design and development, testing, assessment and expert advice.
The company has built an international reputation for technical expertise through constant innovation at the leading edge of technology. ERA’s services reduce technical and commercial risk, improve the operational performance of engineering infrastructure assets, and enhance the competitiveness of products and systems.
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2005 News Archive 
