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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : Sub-file(A) to EIC 230/2/11

24 August 2005

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 340/2005

European Union (EU)* : Amendment to the Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 70/2003 of 1 March 2003, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted an amendment to the Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The amendment establishes the maximum concentration values for certain hazardous substances allowed in EEE. Details are set out in Commission Decision 2005/618/EC (the Decision), a copy of which is attached (pdf format) to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

  1. Commercial Information Circular No. 70/2003 informed the trade that from 1 July 2006, new EEE put on the market should not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls or polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Since it is evident that a total avoidance of these substances is in some instances impossible to achieve, the Commission adopted the Decision to announce that a maximum concentration value of 0.1% by weight in homogeneous materials for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers and of 0.01% by weight in homogeneous materials for cadmium shall be tolerated. The Decision shall apply from 1 July 2006.

ENQUIRIES

  1. For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.



Yours faithfully,


(Miss Sandra SOU)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.



  • While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.