Folks,
SMTA is sponsoring a mini-conference on "due diligence" for RoHS compliance. This April 18 event is being lead by Harvey Stone of the Goodbye Supply Chain.
I was interested in the preface to the meeting:
After 42 months to comply, the only alternative is to implement a truly credible due diligence defense. It is the only way to reduce both financial risk and operational costs. Due diligence is a well documented legal principle, the meaning of which courts have refined, and in all likelihood, most EU nations will take into account due diligence reasonable steps.
This tells it like it is.....we have had 42 months.....no excuses! I also strongly support Harvey's "due diligence" concept.
Along these lines, a recent retraction by Global SMT and Packaging follows:
Whoops!
Last month's newsletter stated that the RoHS deadline had been extended in the UK (wouldn't that be something?). It is, however, WEEE that has been extended, until January 2007. Thank you to the readers who caught that slip!
Trevor Galbraith
My intent is not to tease my friend Trevor, but to point out something that many people miss in the fundamentals of WEEE/RoHS. Each country can be flexible in how WEEE is implemented in their country. RoHS however, is to be uniform throughout Europe. No individual country can change any part of it.
I hear a few people now stating that they think RoHS will be delayed or canceled. Here are some reasons why I think it won't be delayed:
1. WEEE requires tremendous infrastructure development by the individual countries, that is why WEEE has been delayed in most countries. RoHS requires only a great deal of work on your part, not the EU countries.
2. Your competitor who is RoHS compliant wants it to be implemented. He wants to put you out of business. If you are not RoHS compliant and he is, he wants all of your EU market share. He will encourage the EU to stand fast on the 01 July 2006 date. He will alos have the EU's respect....he's ready.
3. You've had 42 months.
4. A delay would require an action of the entire EU.
Cheers,
Dr. Ron