Chemicals Management for Electronics in Europe 2022

• Background and main aims of the CSS;
• Key actions that will affect the electronics industry; and
• Approach taken by leading electronics companies to reduce non-essential substances.

Harry Wild

Lead Chemicals Analyst, Sphera BOMcheck

• The original RoHS directive came into force in July 2006, with a major revision taking effect from January 2013;
• The process to introduce a third version is now fully underway - with a Call for Evidence and a major stakeholder consultation already completed this year; and
• Hear an overview of progress to date and find out the latest developments & timelines.

Steven Andrews

Regulatory & Sustainability Expert - Product Sustainability, Assent

• Future EU battery regulation: battery metals perspective - Kamila Slupek
  
  

Kamila Slupek

Sustainability Director, Eurometaux

Steven Andrews

Regulatory & Sustainability Expert - Product Sustainability, Assent

• View presentation video

• The Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) and the revision of REACH​;
• Restriction vs authorisation​;
• Essential use​;
• Generic approach to risk management (‘GMA’)​; and
• Considerations for the electronics sector.

Claudio Mereu

Partner, EU Regulatory, Fieldfisher LLP, Belgium

• Background on SCIP database and its major milestones;
• Current status of SCIP; and
• Insights into the dissemination of SCIP data.

Michaela Simjakova

Regulatory Assistant, European Chemicals Agency

• Introduction to EU sustainable product policy;
• Current EEE product sustainability "obligations"; and
• EEE product sustainability obligations in the future

Kamelija Milosev

Subject Matter Expert - Chemicals, Enhesa

The WEEE Forum is the world’s biggest association of e-waste producer responsibility organisations. The forty-six PROs collected more than 3 million tonnes of e-waste last year. The WEEE Forum’s mission is to tackle the worldwide societal challenge of electronic waste.

Pascal Leroy

Director General, WEEE Forum

• Product testing in 19 European countries showed items on sale in Europe contained flame retardant chemicals, which are found in electronic waste and are restricted on health and environmental grounds; and
• Civil society organisations under the Arnika and IPEN lead calls for closure of the loophole in EU and international legislation that allows products made from recycled waste to contain these contaminants.

Jitka Strakova

Global Researcher, IPEN/Arnika

Joined by

Jindrich Petrlik

Programme Director, Arnika

• A review of unique challenges facing component manufacturers as a result of their position in the supply chain;
• How the latest trend of prioritising environmental concerns is impacting component providers ability to respond to supply chain requests; and
• Some ideas for component producers who are seeking to develop a robust environmental compliance validation process.

Randy Flinders

Compliance Specialist, GreenSoft Technology, United States

• Why PFAS? There is an increased focus on removing PFAS from everyday products, both from legislators and consumers, and this will have tremendous effect on the electronics industry;
• Where is PFAS? How can companies identify uses of PFAS, the first step towards phasing out, and where can they get the support they need?; and
• Instead of PFAS? Where are the alternatives, for which uses, and where is it a lack of alternatives?

Jonatan Kleimark

Senior Chemicals and Business Adviser, ChemSec

• Business and supply chain impacts in the event of REACH authorisation listing;
• Regulatory concerns and overlaps; and
• Timeline, actions, next steps

Lisa Allen

Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager, International Lead Association (ILA)

• The Pb metal case provides a good example to reflect on appropriate and efficient risk management;
• The present risk management scheme on Pb focusses on restrictions and OEL setting and is effective;
• Authorisation seems for Pb more a policy aim given substitution pressure is there since decades;
• In the future under the new REACH we expect:
• more emphasis on prioritisation what matters;
• use of risk based restrictions when EU wide risk management is needed;
• complemented by some generic risk approach cases for remaining consumer cases for specific health/environmental endpoints; and
• (more) efficiency and effectiveness should drive risk management in the future embedded in a sustainability view for the substance or technology of concern.

Hugo Waeterschoot

Chemicals Management Advisor, Eurometaux, Belgium

• The risk assessment committee of ECHA proposed in 2021 a 1A classification reprotox for lithium chloride, carbonate and hydroxide, despite weak evidence; 
• If approved, the classification will have serious implications for the development of a European lithium and battery value chain, particularly for strategic autonomy and green deal objectives; and 
• The presentation will focus on recent developments in the classification process and possible socio-economic impacts. 

Francesco Gattiglio

Director External Affairs, EU, Albemarle

• The importance of fire safety & use of flame retardants in electronics;
• Defective or non-standard EEE contribute to increased fire risk;
• Brominated flame retardants (BFR) & recycling of WEEE plastics in Europe; and
• How BFRs provide important solutions for a circular economy.

Sander Kroon

Director Advocacy Europe, ICL-Industrial Products (IP)