EU RoHS
July 25, 2024 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.
Cadmium Exemption Updates to EU RoHS
EU revises exemption of Cadmium in EU RoHS Annex III
On May 21, 2024, the European Commission published an amendment to the EU RoHS directive, extending an existing Annex III exemption for Cadmium for an additional year, and adding a new exemption which expires in three years.
Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU is amended as follows:
39(a) | Cadmium selenide in downshifting cadmium-based semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots for use in display lighting applications (< 0,2 μg Cd per mm2 of display screen area) | Expires for all Categories on 21 November 2025 |
39(b) | Cadmium in downshifting semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots directly eposited on LED semiconductor chips for use in display and projection applications (< 5 μg Cd per mm2 of LED chip surface) with a maximum amount per device of 1 mg | Expires for all categories on 31 December 2027 |
In making this decision, the European Commission evaluated the use of cadmium selenide in quantum dot technology for display and lighting applications. The evaluation revealed that while alternative technologies are available and effective for most lighting applications, specific display technologies, such as micro displays, still lack reliable substitutes. Therefore, the exemption is now limited to cadmium quantum dots directly deposited on LED chips for display and projection applications until the end of 2027. This change reduces cadmium use, supports innovation, and balances environmental, health, and consumer safety concerns. The current exemption will expire 18 months after the decision, allowing the industry time to adapt.
The amendment published in the Official Journal request that EU Member States adopt and publish this exemption by 31 December 2024, with the provisions applying from 1 January 2025 until the stated expiration dates of 21 November 2025 for exemption 39(a) and 31 December 2027 for exemption 39(b).
The publication in the Official Journal can be found here.
Updated EU RoHS Exemptions List available to download
EU RoHS exemptions have varying expiration dates, and when expiration dates near, many exemptions are renewed with updated expiration dates. With the status and timing of exemption extensions unknown, keeping track of the various expiration dates and current exemptions is a time-consuming task.
GreenSoft maintains a compiled list of the EU RoHS Exemptions in order to perform EU RoHS Data Services for our customers and to keep our GreenData Manager software up-to-date. We also make this list available online to the public for your convenience and reference.
Our compiled EU RoHS Exemptions List has been updated to include these two new exemptions. You can download the updated EU RoHS Exemptions List here.
