Chemicals Management for Electronics @ Regulatory Summit Europe 2026

Moderator

Mary Liddane

Regulatory Compliance and Service Manager, Enhesa

• introduction to RoHS Directive;
• overview of the substance review and exemptions; and
• general review, One Substance One Assessment (OSOA) amendment and updates on the standardization request.

Dimitrios Soutzoukis

Policy Officer, European Commission - DG ENV

• RoHS Pack 22 Lead Exemption Strategy
• overview of the decisions made by the European Commission on the renewal, splitting and revocation of lead exemptions key to industry; and
• renewal milestones & continuity: an update on the Umbrella Project’s 2025 and 2026 renewal applications.
• EN IEC 63000 & proposed common specifications
• planned changes to the RoHS harmonized standard EN IEC 63000 that will initiate a shift from declaration-based compliance to mandatory analytical test reports; and
• common specifications fall-back mechanism: a briefing on the 2025 proposal to amend RoHS to introduce common specifications as a regulatory alternative to harmonized standards.

Sue Fortunato-Esbach

Director, Regulatory and Sustainability, Assent

• Batteries Regulation Article 11 stipulations - background and earlier studies;
• the methodology applied and developed for the first assessment of applications for derogation from the Article 11 obligations; and
• examples and insights from the applications assessed.

Yifaat Baron

Senior Researcher, Department Sustainable Products & Material Flows, Öko-Institut Consult GmbH

• working with the EU POPs Regulation and the Stockholm Convention as downstream users; 
• uses of POPs in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, processes and final products; and
• EU ban on Dechlorane Plus, long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs) and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs): compliance strategies. 

Maxime Castes

ESH & Sustainability Manager, EU Semiconductor Association (ESIA)

• fluoropolymers and other types of PFAS across the electronics value chain: function-critical uses with very limited substitution options;
• socio-economic impact of blanket PFAS bans on the electronics industry and on European competitiveness and technical sovereignty; and
• the current position of the Global Electronics Association on how PFAS should be regulated, including proposed pragmatic next steps.

Dr Diana Radovan

Director of Sustainability Policy, Global Electronics Association Europe GmbH

• limits of material substitution: why base material properties alone are not enough when replacing fluoropolymer-related materials in electronic components;
• real-world constraints: how functional performance, regulatory approval, and end-use requirements shape the feasibility of alternatives, illustrated through practical examples; and
• long implementation timelines: the iterative, cross-functional process required to develop, qualify, and commercialize alternatives, highlighting the need for testing, validation, and supply-chain alignment to avoid regrettable substitutions.

Wojciech Popielarz

EU Advocacy and Regulatory Affairs Leader, W. L. Gore & Associates

• regulatory frameworks and their impact on complex electronic articles.
  How evolving global regulations shape compliance obligations for downstream users in multi‑tiered supply chains;
• chemical substitution in electronic components: operational challenges and supply chain risks Navigating technical feasibility, material availability, qualification timelines, and the cost implications of substitution; and
• why long implementation periods do not always ensure success
  Common pitfalls for downstream users - such as uncertainty around supplier readiness, incomplete disclosure, or late-stage redesign needs - despite extended regulatory timelines.

Miguel Gascón

Senior Manager, Product Sustainability and Compliance, CommScope Connectivity UK Ltd

• the state of play for EU chemicals and electronics digital product passports: how companies can prepare; 
• how digital product passports will be used for EU substances of concern compliance and recycler information provisioning. Moving beyond the SCIP database for recyclers, planned to be repealed under the EU Commission Environmental Omnibus; and
• making chemicals data flow across supply chains: towards a global digital product and material passport system.

Dr Rembrandt Koppelaar

Chief Product Officer, Eco Wise

• short introduction to the battery passport and its mandatory requirements;
• how traceability up the supply chain enables easier regulatory compliance; and
• the additional benefits that traceability unlocks beyond compliance.

Daniel Gregory

Research Manager - Materials Science, Circularise

• a brief outline on social and environmental risks in e-waste management;
• an introduction to EU and international regulatory requirements around the recovery of metals and minerals from e-waste;
• a discussion on PFAS and legacy substances in electronics and e-waste, looking at recent regulatory developments around PFAS in the EU and how chemicals of concern can be better addressed going forward (to reduce health and environmental risks); and
• an overview of how electronics could be designed for easier and safer disassembly and reuse in line with EU regulations on ecodesign and energy labelling, as well as global policies on the right to repair.

Christine Nikander

Founder & CEO, Palsa & Pulk B.V.