By Valerie Coffey
A European Union (EU) Commission meeting of the Technical Adaptation Committee (TAC) in March 2005 has reaffirmed its original decision to allow a set of exemptions to the Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) intiative, defying the EU Parliament, which passed a resolution earlier in the month calling for them to re-examine their conclusions.
In February 2005, the EU Parliament challenged all of the decisions made by the Commission, representing member state governments via the TAC since the enactment of RoHS, on the basis that they had not been duly consulted. An earlier Parliament resolution sponsored by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) campaign group, demanded that the TAC “re-examine” its December 2004 decision on exemptions.
The Commission has insisted that it acted in accordance with the law. However, some Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have branded the exemptions “illegal,” and legal action from the Parliament is possible. As part of the new and heated debate between the Parliament and the Commission over lack of collaboration on decision-making, this intervention is likely to increase confusion and uncertainty over the exemptions process.
The particular exemption list in question includes: compliant-pin connector systems, coating material for thermal conduction module c-rings, optical and filter glass, and solders consisting of more than two elements for the connection between the pins and the package of microprocessors with a lead content between 80% and and 85% by weight. A final exemption on the list is solders used for electrical connections between semiconductor dies and carriers within integrated-circuit flip-chip packages.
Opinions in the industry are polarized, and much is at stake. In July 2004, Dr. Robert D. Hilty, director of materials research at Tyco Electronics asked the European Commission not to exclude lead used in compliant-pin very-high-density-medium (VHDM) connector systems. The exemption, said Hilty, inappropriately targeted one specific manufacturer (Teradyne Connection Systems). In addition, he said, Tyco Electronics, the world’s largest connector manufacturer, sells these products in a lead-free version and spent five years researching the solution.
But many connector makers have been caught like deer in the headlights on the issue of lead-free, paralyzed financially from making the change and disbelieving that they might actually have to. After all, the changes affect only Europe (and Japan, California, and maybe soon, China). Until customers clamor for lead-free, many businesses seemed hopeful they would just ride out the lead-free storm. And now, in many cases, that may be exactly what they have done. Actions by the European parliament, if any, have yet to be announced.
