HERNDON, VA, Nov. 12 — Makers of consumer electronics are planning full compliance to new environmental mandates from Europe by the third quarter of 2005, with some early adopters ready by this year. The supply chain is prepared to support this schedule, NEMI said today. 

The trade group is basing its findings on a recent RoHS/lead-free summit at which scores of company's traded insights on the European Union's Restriction on Use of Certain Hazardous Substances and Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives.

The meetings were held October 18-20 and drew close to 190 people.

One primary concern: how companies will be able to prove compliance -- to regulatory bodies and to their customers. The directives are not explicit on this point, and the EU's Technical Adaptation Committee, responsible for providing guidance on RoHS implementation, has not yet made recommendations, NEMI said in a press statement.

Among the attendees' recommendations:

• Executive support is required for a successful company program.
• Each firm should appoint a project manager and develop an implementation plan that includes in-house efforts as well as supply base.
• Many major OEMs plan to convert to Pb-free solder and components during the first three quarters of 2005 for their consumer products (some are targeting the end of this year.)
• Much of the supply chain is prepared to support this conversion schedule.
• Many producers of high-end exempt products will convert to Pb-free components at the same time, and then convert to Pb-free solder at a later date.
• All major OEMs are requiring new part numbers for Pb-free components (in order to clearly differentiate "leaded" parts from Pb-free).

Breakout groups then explored potential areas of industry collaboration. Among the ideas:

• A 10-step "best practices" program that would help companies demonstrate due diligence to remove RoHS-banned substances from products.
• An industry-wide depository of component material data.
• Coordination between parallel efforts, and education on approaches/best practices.
• Processing and reliability of Pb-free and mixed-metal technology for high-end electronics (which are exempt from some of the directives' requirements).

Presentations from the summit and reports from the breakout groups are available at www.nemi.org/newsroom/Presentations/RoHS_summit.html.