Commission Delegated Directive 2014/10/EU

of 18 October 2013

amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, Annex IV to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for lead in alloys, as a superconductor or thermal conductor, used in cryo-cooler cold heads and/or in cryo-cooled cold probes and/or in cryo-cooled equipotential bonding systems, in medical devices (category 8) and/or in industrial monitoring and control instruments

(Text with EEA relevance)

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 equipment1, and in particular Article 5(1)(a) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Directive 2011/65/EU prohibits the use of lead in electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market.

(2)

The substitution or elimination of lead in alloys as a superconductor or thermal conductor, used in cryo-cooler cold heads and/or in cryo-cooled cold probes and/or in cryo-cooled equipotential bonding systems, in medical devices (category 8) and/or in industrial monitoring and control instruments is currently not possible. Currently there are no viable lead-free devices available on the market for this application.

(3)

Time is required for reliability testing and product registration of alternative solutions.

(4)

Directive 2011/65/EU should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: