WASHINGTON, DC -- The European Union has launched a stakeholder consultation on three new requests for exemptions from the RoHS Directive, IPC reported.

The online stakeholder consultation started on Sept. 26 and will run until Nov. 7. It covers a request for the renewal of an existing exemption and two requests for new exemptions from the RoHS Directive:

• Request 2017-1 “Lead in solder used to make electrical connections to vacuum boards used in Mass Spectrometers. Boards designed to be used periodically under low pressure. 5 years”
• Request 2017-2 “Use of lead in welds for soldering of certain printed circuit board assemblies in gas detectors.”
• Annex III, 1(g) “Mercury in single – capped (compact) fluorescent lamps for general lighting purposes < 30 W with a lifetime equal or above 20 000 h: 3,5 mg. 5 years (Max)”

IPC’s RoHS Exemptions Task Group will review the requests.