THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment(1) and in particular Article 5(1)(a) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Directive 2011/65/EU requires Member States to ensure that electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market does not contain lead.
(2) Point 6(c) of Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU exempted the use of lead as an alloying element in copper containing up to 4 % lead by weight until 21 July 2016. The Commission received an application for renewal of this exemption in relation to categories 1 to 7 and 10 before 21 January 2015, in accordance with Article 5(5) of Directive 2011/65/EU.
(3) Lead in copper alloys acts as chip breaker and lubricant, gives copper alloys a favourable machinability, and provides the finished component also with other properties, such as corrosion resistance.
(4) Currently, alternatives to the use of copper alloys containing lead up to 4 % by weight cannot be identified as scientifically or technically practicable. Therefore, a renewal of the exemption for the duration of 5 years after the former expiry date is justified to allow carrying out a comprehensive survey of the supply chain.
(5) For categories 1 to 7 and 10, the exemption should be renewed until 21 July 2021 to allow performing a comprehensive survey of the supply chain in order to narrow the scope of the exemption at the time of the next review. For categories other than categories 1 to 7 and 10, the existing exemption is valid as per the validity periods set out in Article 5(2) of Directive 2011/65/EU.
(6) Directive 2011/65/EU should therefore be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: