“The deadline for the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) now looms less than a year away. Meanwhile, the EU has put an Aug. 13, 2005 deadline on registering for its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. Aside from the EU’s 25 member states, both China and California have their own set of rules in the works that will force suppliers to provide more environmental sound products, with the common factor to all countries being a push toward lead-free electronics. Is the industry ready for RoHS, which is set to hit first with a July 1, 2006 deadline marked on supply-chain calendars? The answer, according to Fern Abrams, director of environmental policy at IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries, is a resounding “No.”” Source: reed-electronics.com