Directive 2011/65/EU requires Member States to ensure that electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market does not contain certain hazardous substances listed in Annex II to that Directive. That requirement does not apply to the applications listed in Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU.

The different categories of electrical and electronic equipment for which Directive 2011/65/EU applies (categories 1 to 11) are listed in Annex I to that Directive.

Lead is a restricted substance listed in Annex II to Directive 2011/65/EU. The use of lead in PZT based dielectric ceramic materials for capacitors which are part of integrated circuits or discrete semiconductors was, however, exempted from the restriction and is currently listed in entry 7(c)-IV of Annex III to that Directive. The expiry date of that exemption was 21 July 2016.

The Commission received an application for renewal of that exemption before 21 January 2015, in accordance with Article 5(5) of Directive 2011/65/EU. The exemption remains valid until a decision on that application has been adopted.

Ceramic capacitors which are part of integrated circuits or discrete semiconductors use dielectric ceramic materials based on PZT (lead-zirconium-titanate) ceramics. Lead containing PZT ceramics offer high piezoelectric effect, high dielectric constant, pyroelectric behaviour and ferroelectric properties.

A complete substitution or elimination of lead in such capacitors is still scientifically and technically impracticable due to the lack of reliable substitutes. The exemption does not weaken the environmental and health protection afforded by Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council2. The exemption for the use of lead in PZT based dielectric ceramic materials for capacitors which are part of integrated circuits or discrete semiconductors should therefore be renewed.

Since, for the applications concerned, no reliable alternatives are available today or are likely to be available on the market in the near future, the exemption for categories 1 to 7 and 10 should be renewed for the maximum duration of five years until 21 July 2021. In view of the results of the ongoing efforts to find a reliable substitution, the duration of the exemption is unlikely to have adverse impacts on innovation.

For categories other than 1 to 7 and 10, the existing exemption remains valid as per the validity periods set out in the second subparagraph of Article 5(2) of Directive 2011/65/EU. For reasons of clarity, the dates of expiry should be added in Annex III to that Directive.

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