EU publishes RoHS exemption for lead in PZT

Commission Delegated Directive amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for applications containing lead.

Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 (RoHS 2) restricts the use of certain hazardous substances (lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in electrical and electronic equipment. RoHS 2 (recast) entered into force on 21 July 2011. It followed Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS 1) which entered into force on 13 February 2003. RoHS 1 will be repealed with effect from 3 January 2013.

The substitution of lead in PZT based dielectric ceramic materials for capacitors which are part of integrated circuits or discrete semiconductors is still technically impracticable. The use of lead in those materials should therefore be exempted from the prohibition.

In Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU the following point 7(c)-IV is inserted: