European Union exemptions

As previously mentioned, recently the European Union exempted press-fit connectors from its RoHS legislation, allowing the use of Sn-Pb coatings on comphant tails. The Pb adds a small amount of lubricity, allowing for easier pressing into notably difficult surface finishes such as organic solderabihty preservative (OSP)-copper. 

Color additives are naturally and synthetically derived. In the past 20 years, consumers have become increasingly aware of the ingredients in their foods and they desire foods be as natural as possible. This fact combined with technological developments have fueled the increases in uses of naturally derived colors. Moreover, additives must be safe and stable in food matfices. Legislation has established which colorants may be used as food additives, taking into account toxicity of compounds and methods of assessment. The European Union currently allows the use of 13 naturally derived colors but 26 colors are exempt from certification... 

ECHA points out that some materials currently considered as waste might in future be considered to have ceased to be waste [15]. These materials will then be out of the scope of waste legislation, and - if not covered by an exemption - will potentially fall under REACH. Clarification of end-of-waste criteria is a matter for waste legislation. In accordance with the general principle of subsidiarity of the European Union law, and following the revised Waste Framework Directive, Member States may decide case by case whether certain waste has ceased to be waste, where end-of-waste criteria have not been set at Community level. Member States have already worked for use of this regulation, like, e.g., the Waste Quality Protocol in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland [16]. 

In order to encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in orphan drug development, legislation provides for a number of incentives. These include application fee waiver (the extent of reduction varies with the region of the world, and in the European Union it is 50% for all fees since 2002), market exclusivity and protocol assistance. In the European Union, there is 100% reduction in the fee applicable to the provision of any scientific advice. The fund made available by the Community for fee exemptions for orphan medicinal products amounts to= 3 700000 in 2005. 

The term substance of very hi h concern, abbreviated SVHC, is associated with a new process that was introduced to the European chemicals policy through the implementation of REACH the authorization process. This procedure aims (1) to encourage the substitution of substances of very high concern with less harmful substances or alternative technologies and (2) assure the proper control of risks arising from SVHC s. A substance being subject to authorization must principally not be used or placed on the market for any use within the European Union. However, specific uses of an authorized substance may be excluded from this general prohibition if, for example, they are a priori exempted from authorization or if the manufacturer, importer, or downstream user successfully applied for their authorization. The authorization process is laid down in REACH Articles 55-66 and may be initiated by the ECHA on behalf of the European Commission or by EU member state competent authorities. Substances which are subject... 

FR compound under review is deca-BDE, a common FR that is heavily used in plastics for electrical applications (such as television sets) and in PP textile fibers and PO wdre and cable coverings. However, in 2004, the European Union EU Risk Assessment on deca-BDE found "no identifiable risks" to human health or the environment and exempted this material from being banned. Many other questionable ER ingredients, including antimony uiox-ide, are currently undergoing the EU Risk Assessment process (which can take over 10 years to complete), as well as the European REACH chemical regisua-tion process [1-1, 3-4, 5-6, 5-15). 

The deca equivalent has not been banned in Emope. Widely used in televisions and other fire risk equipment as well as textiles, it has been subjected to almost a decade of investigation in Emope. Concern has been focused mainly on its environmental effects. The European Union Member States Competent Authorities has recently concluded that the risk assessment of this substance should be discontinued for lack of evidence, although a monitoring programme will address any environmental concerns, including emission levels. BSEF hopes that deca-BDE will be exempted from 2002/95/EC (the RoHS Directive) restrictions. PBBs were banned in the Directive 2003/11/EC. 

The Landfill Tax was introduced in the UK in 1996 to try to reduce the amoimt of waste being sent to landfill. All waste placed in a landfill is subject to the tax unless specifically exempt. For example soil being removed from redevelopment sites because it is contaminated is exempt. The Special Waste Regulations 1996 updated the definition of special waste (hazardous waste) to conform to European Union legislation. 

In the United States, for instance. Volumetric Excise Tax Credits for the blending of fuel ethanol and biodiesel are being provided to biofuel producers under the American Jobs Creation Act since 2004. In the European Union, the Energy Taxation Directive permits exemptions or reductions from energy taxation for biofuels (Directive 2003/96/EC). Currently, nearly all EU member states (with the exception of Finland and the Netherlands) provide partial or total tax exemptions or deduction, most aimed at hnal consumption (European Commission, 2011). Because the tax exemption has an upper bound equal to the acmal level of the fossil fuel tax, the instrument has proven to be highly effective in those EU member states with fossil fuel tax levels high enough to compensate for the additional production costs of biofuels (Wiesenthal et al., 2009). 

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