20060227 亞洲準備好”符合RoHS”

亞洲準備好”符合RoHS”

根據Global Sources一份”RoHS符合度”調查報告顯示: 93%台灣、中國大陸、香港以及南韓的電子業者預計會在RoHS 截止期限: 2006年7月1日以前為符合歐盟”禁用六大有害物質(RoHS)”指令做好準備。

◎93%亞洲電子業者預計會符合RoHS 截止期限
RoHS指令(2002/95/EC) 禁止電子電器設備中使用含有鉛、鎘、汞、六價鉻、多溴聯苯及多溴聯苯醚等有害物質，於2006年7月1日以後在歐盟各會員國販售或使用。該調查報告是由359家台灣、中國大陸、香港以及南韓的電子業者之問卷匯集而成。問卷調查的對象主要針對目前出口或計劃輸出電子電器設備與零組件至歐盟的電子業者。
報告發行人 Mark Saunderson 表示: ”51%受訪的電子業者認為已經符合RoHS指令；42%的業者預計今年7月以前會符合該指令。同時，輸出電子零件至歐盟的業者仍不斷在評估”符合RoHS”的產品對企業所帶來的影響，並且認為”符合RoHS”會提高產品價格。”

◎電子業者期望藉”符合RoHS”提高價格
此外，Saunderson也補充說明: ”符合RoHS意味著進一步提升業者的製造能力和確認零件供應商的RoHS符合性。64%受調查的電子業者期望符合RoHS的產品能影響價格，因此價格的提高意義非凡。” 據調查，電子業者期望價格增加的比例如下:

-- 35%期望價格(符合RoHS的產品)增加5%以下
-- 23%期望價格增加5%~10%
-- 6% 期望價格增加10%以上

參考網址: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-14-2006/0004281253&EDATE

 打火機須具備”防範兒童把玩”安全裝置
歐洲委員會將採納於2006年2月9日通過的一項決議草案，規定所有出口至歐盟以及在歐盟販售的打火機必須具備”防範兒童把玩”安全裝置，決議草案重點如下:

1) 決議有關打火機須具備”防範兒童把玩”安全裝置的界定範圍、種類。
2) 受管制的打火機不包括: 持續壽命最少5年、保固期最少2年、可以修理的可再充氣式打火機。
3) 防把玩安全裝置，需能防止年齡不足51個月的兒童把玩。
4) 打火機如符合EN 13869安全標準，或非歐盟會員國的相關條例，則可被視為具備防把玩功能。
5) 打火機上市前，需先通過相關的防把玩測試。
6) 決議公布後10個月起，歐盟會員國須確保只有具備”防把玩”裝置的打火機得以上市。
7) 同時，會員國必需禁止市面販售”新奇”打火機(其外觀與吸引兒童的東西相似)。
8) 生產商或歐盟進口商須按當局要求，保存及提交遵守規定的報告和生產紀錄。
9) 分銷商亦須按當局要求，保存及提交相關文件。

歐盟通過相關法例後，會員國將有4個月的時間把法例轉化為國家條例。之後，業者再擁有6個
月時間調整生產鏈，以確保打火機符合相關的安全規定。屆時，違規打火機必須從市面上回收。

參考網址: http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/eu0604a.htm


Asia Ready for RoHS

According to a RoHS Compliance Readiness Survey Report (Global Sources): Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea shows 93 percent of electronics manufacturers expect to comply with the European Union's Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive by July 2006.

◎93 Percent of Electronics Manufacturers in Asia Expect to Comply with RoHS Deadline
RoHS or EU Directive 2002/95/EC restricts the use of certain substances including Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent-chromium, PBBs and PBDEs in electrical or electronic equipment sold or used in the European Union after July 1.The report was compiled through questionnaires completed by 359manufacturers in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. These companies currently export or plan to export electronic devices and components to the EU.
Report publisher, Mark Saunderson, said: "Fifty-one percent of surveyed companies said they are already RoHS-compliant. Forty-two percent expect to be compliant by mid-year. Companies that export relatively small volumes to the EU are still evaluating the impact of compliance on their production." Electronics manufacturers expect RoHS compliance to increase costs and prices.

◎Electronics Manufacturers Expect RoHS Compliance to Increase Prices
Moreover, Saunderson added: "RoHS compliance involves upgrading manufacturing facilities and ensuring component suppliers are RoHS-compliant. The costs can be significant; 64 percent of surveyed companies expect compliance to impact prices."

The RoHS Compliance Readiness Survey shows:
-- 35 percent of manufacturers expect their prices to increase by less than 5 percent
-- 23 percent expect prices to increase by between 5 and 10 percent
-- 6 percent expect prices to increase by more than 10 percent

Website for more information: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-14-2006/0004281253&EDATE

 EU will Introduce Child-Resistance in Cigarette Lighters
On 9 February 2006, the European Commission announced it was given the green light to adopt a Decision requiring all lighters placed on the EU market to be child-resistant. The General Product Safety Committee, which comprises all 25 Member States' safety experts, voted by a majority to accept the draft Commission Decision on 9 February 2006. Therefore, all cigarette lighter manufacturers exporting to the EU will thus have to meet its future requirements. A description of the draft Decision voted upon follows:

1) The text lays out a definition of lighters which will have to become child-resistant, excluding any monetary threshold.
2) The coverage of lighters excludes refillable lighters which have a continual safe life of at least 5 years, which benefit from a manufacturers' guarantee of at least two years, and which can be repaired.
3) The child-resistance within the lighter shall mean that it cannot be operated by children under 51 months.
4) Lighters shall be presumed to be child-resistant if they conform to certain specifications laid out in any national standard that conforms to the EN 13869:2002 Standard, or to relevant rules of non-EU countries which have equivalent requirements in force.
5) In order to be placed on the market, lighters will have had to meet child-resistance tests that are laid out in any of the aforementioned recognised standards or non-EU countries' rules.
6) The Member States have an obligation to ensure that only lighters which are child-resistant are placed on the market as of ten months from the date of notification of the Decision.
7) At the same time, Member States must prohibit "novelty" lighters completely (these are lighters that resemble objects thought to be appealing to children).
8) As of that date, producers (or EU importers) will have to keep and provide on request a report on child-resistance, an attestation on request that all lighters are in conformity, production records, and a new report if any relevant changes are made to the producer's model of lighter.
9) Similarly, distributors will be required to keep and provide documentation necessary for tracing the producers of the lighters they supply.

Once the legislation is in place at EU level, the Member States will have four months to transpose it. Industry will have a further six months to modify their production chain to ensure their lighters are adequately child-resistant. At that time, lighters for which compliance cannot be shown will have to be withdrawn from the market.

Website for more information: http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/eu0604a.htm