May 31 - UK Finalizes RoHS Implementation Guidelines

Electronics Weekly announces that the United Kingdom has finalized and issued its official RoHS enforcement guidelines. Each of the 25 member states had to transpose RoHS into state law by August of 2004, and interpretation and enforcement was left up to each member state to regulate individually. To date, the UK has the most comprehensive implementation and enforcement guidelines, imposing fines up to 5,000 pounds for any incompliant product placed on the market après July 1, 2006.

The UK's RoHS Directive enforcer the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) has issued its RoHS enforcement guidelines.

Aiming to produce a level playing field across Europe, the document has been written in consultation with the other EU RoHS enforcement agencies.

"Whilst the overall approach to RoHS compliance is based on a presumption of conformity, it is recognised that national authorities will require self-declaration from producers as the key principle underlying the enforcement process," said NWML.

In the guidelines NWML sets out its view on what a typical list of overview documentation is expected to look like, as well as a typical compliance documentation list.

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Californians Against Waste is sponsoring AB 2202 (Saldaña), which will expand a RoHS provision in California, ultimately prohibiting a manufacturer from selling any consumer electronic product that is not RoHS-compliant after January 2009. AB 2202 will be heard on the Assembly Floor this week, and will need at least 41 votes to progress into the Senate. It is going to be a tight maneuver getting those 41 votes, and AB 2202 needs all the support it can get.

What you can do:
• E-mail your Legislator for support on this measure to clean up toxic e-waste
• Send an AB 2202 support letter on behalf of your organization