“By July 1, 2006, all electrical and electronic items (as defined by RoHS) available in Europe will be required to comply with low-ppm levels for six restricted substances. The major impact is the limit of 1,000 ppm applied to lead content, as this requires a wholesale change to electronic PCB soldering processes and materials. There still are challenges for manufacturers of mission-critical products arising from two trends of lead-free production. First, commercial assemblies need to transition to lead-free. Second, the reflow medium will typically be based on SnAgCu (SAC); therefore, components must be compatible with this material and must retain reverse-compatibility with tin/lead systems that have not yet converted. The ideal, low-cost termination material for passive components meeting the above requirements is matte-tin.” Source: smt.pennnet.com