IPC and ITI to host conferences on environmental product requirements
Bannockburn, IL. IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) will host a conference series on “Critical and Emerging Environmental Product Requirements” this June. The conference series, to be held in the Boston, Chicago, and Silicon Valley areas on June 4, 6, and 8, respectively, will feature United Kingdom regulators Steve Andrews, deputy head of the resources and waste division at the UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), and Chris Smith, senior technical advisor for the office of product safety and standards at the UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy.
Andrews and Smith, who oversee development and UK implementation and enforcement of European Union regulations affecting the electronics industry, will provide an update on the EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive exemptions, implementation, and enforcement; EU waste regulations; Brexit; and more.
Andrews and Smith will join Dr. Sharon McGuiness, assistant chief executive, chemicals and prevention division, at the Ireland Health and Safety Authority, who will cover EU chemicals management including Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation enforcement; RoHS tie-in; and other chemicals legislation.
In addition to these presentations, the conference will feature a U.S. regulatory wrap-up by Chris Cleet, senior director, environment and sustainability at ITI. Presentations on China environmental issues, including China RoHS II development and product stewardship in Southeast Asia, will be presented by Weiwei Luo, environmental attorney at Beveridge and Diamond, P.C.
“Coping with global environmental compliance requirements is a difficult task. Just when you think you understand what is needed, new developments appear seemingly from nowhere,” said Cleet. “For example, the redefined meaning of ‘article’ as applied to the REACH regulation significantly impacts manufacturers of electrical and electronic products sold in the EU. Simply misunderstanding the impact could be disastrous for your business. ITI and IPC’s conference will provide the information you and your company need to comply with legal, regulatory and customer requirements.”