In order to control and reduce the pollution caused by the disposal of electrical and electronic products, promote the production, sale and import of low-pollution electrical and electronic products and the comprehensive utilization of resources, and protect the environment and human health, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has drafted the "Administrative Measures for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products (Draft for Public Comment)," which was released to the public for comments from May 18 to June 17.
The final version of this regulation will replace the current "Administrative Measures for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products" (also known as the China RoHS Regulation) issued in 2006. The main changes include the following three aspects:
1. Scope of control expanded
The scope of this regulation has been expanded from electronic information products to include electronic and electrical products, a change reflected in the title of the regulation. Equipment related to the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical energy is excluded.
At the same time, the new RoHS applies to the aforementioned products manufactured, sold, and imported within China. Exemptions previously granted for production specifically intended for export will also be eliminated.
2. Establish a compliance management directory
As early as 2009, China issued the "Key Management Catalogue for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products (First Batch)," requiring listed products to comply with the requirements of the SJ/T 11363-2006 standard. Subsequently, in 2011, the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued the "National Unified Voluntary Certification Catalogue for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products (First Batch)," which is divided into five parts: complete products, component products, parts and components, materials, and exception requirements.
According to the draft of the new RoHS, the authorities will establish a similar but broader "compliance management catalog" that includes all product types that require the implementation of hazardous substance restriction management and compliance certification for electrical and electronic products.
3. Establish a conformity assessment system
To effectively promote and implement RoHS, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) proposed to the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) the establishment of a conformity assessment system for the restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products. CNCA, in turn, will formulate, issue, and organize the implementation of this conformity assessment system in accordance with its functions. This system will likely draw heavily on the certification system established earlier under the guidance of the "Implementation Opinions on the Voluntary Certification for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products Promoted by the State" issued by the two departments in 2010.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance and other departments, establish a relevant acceptance mechanism for the conformity assessment results based on the actual situation.
Sources: ChemLinked (2015-06-03) (Compiled by PIDC)
