Article 4(2)(a) of Directive 2000/53/EC prohibits the use of lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium in materials and components of vehicles put on the market after 1 July 2003, other than in cases listed in Annex II to that Directive and under the conditions specified therein. According to Article 4(2)(b) of Directive 2000/53/EC, Annex II to that Directive is to be adapted to scientific and technical progress by the Commission on a regular basis.

Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC lists vehicle materials and components exempted from the heavy metal ban contained in Article 4(2)(a) thereof. Several of these exemptions expire on dates specified in that Annex. Vehicles put on the market before the expiry date of a given exemption may contain heavy metals in materials and components listed in Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC.

Certain exemptions from the prohibition contained in Article 4(2)(a) of Directive 2000/53/EC should not be prolonged because the use of lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium in those applications has become avoidable by technical progress.

Certain materials and components containing lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium should continue to be exempt from the prohibition of Article 4(2)(a), since the use of these substances in those specific materials and components is still unavoidable. In some cases it is appropriate to review the expiry date of these exemptions in order to provide sufficient time to eliminate the prohibited substances in the future.

Spare parts for vehicles put on the market after 1 July 2003 but before the expiry date of a given exemption of Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC are not covered by the third indent of the Notes thereto. Hence, spare parts for those vehicles must be heavy metal free, even if they are used to replace parts which originally contained heavy metals.

In certain cases it is technically impossible to repair vehicles with spare parts other than original ones as this would require changes in dimensional and functional properties of entire vehicle systems. Such spare parts cannot fit into the vehicle systems originally manufactured with parts containing heavy metals and these vehicles cannot be repaired and may need to be prematurely disposed of. As a result, Annex II needs to be amended accordingly. This decision should affect only a limited number of vehicles and vehicle materials and components and for a limited period of time.

As consumer safety is essential and product reuse, refurbishment and extension of life-time are beneficial for the environment, spare parts should be available for the repair of vehicles which were put on the market between 1 July 2003 and the expiry date of a given exemption. The use of lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium in materials and components used in spare parts for the repair of such vehicles should thus be tolerated.

It is appropriate to harmonize the wording of the exemptions with the other environmental directives related to waste where similar exemptions are mentioned.

Directive 2000/53/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.