2002/525/EC: Commission Decision of 27 June 2002 amending Annex II of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2002) 2238)
Date: 2002-06-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European standard, environmental protection, vehicle, waste, waste management

29.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 170/81

COMMISSION DECISION

of 27 June 2002

amending Annex II of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on
end-of-life vehicles

(notified under document number C(2002) 2238)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2002/525/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity,

Having regard to Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parlia-
ment and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on end-of-life
vehicles (1), and in particular Article 4(2)(b) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Under Directive 2000/53/EC the Commission is required
to evaluate certain hazardous substances prohibited pur-
suant to Article 4(2)(a) of that Directive.

Having carried out the requisite technical and scientific
assessments the Commission has reached a number of
conclusions.

Certain materials and components containing lead, mer-
cury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium should be ex-
empt or continue to be exempt from the prohibition,
since the use of these hazardous substances in those spe-
cific materials and components is still unavoidable.

Some exemptions from the prohibition for certain speci-
fic materials or components should be limited in their
scope and temporal validity, in order to achieve a gra-
dual phase-out of hazardous substances in vehicles, given
that the use of those substances in such applications will
become avoidable.

Cadmium in batteries for electrical vehicles should be ex-
empt until 31 December 2005 since, in view of present
scientific and technical evidence and the overall environ-
mental assessment undertaken, by that date, substitutes
will be available and the availability of electrical vehicles
will be ensured. The progressive replacement of cad-
mium should, however, continue to be analysed, taking
into account the availability of electrical vehicles. The
Commission will publish its findings and, if proven justi-
fied by the results of the analysis, may propose an exten-
sion of the expiry date for cadmium in batteries for elec-
trical vehicles.

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

The exemption from the prohibition relating to lead for
coating inside petrol tanks should be deleted, since the
use of lead in these specific components is already avoid-
able.

Since it is evident that a total avoidance of heavy metals
is in some instances impossible to achieve, certain con-
centration values of lead, mercury, cadmium or hexava-
lent chromium in specific materials and components
should be tolerated, provided that these hazardous sub-
stances are not intentionally introduced.

Directive 2000/53/EC should therefore be amended ac-
cordingly.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Committee established by
Article 18 of Council Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July
1975 on waste (2), as last amended by Commission Deci-
sion 96/350/EC (3),

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC is replaced by the text set
out in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

Member States shall ensure that cadmium in batteries for elec-
trical vehicles is not put on the market after 31 December
2005.

In the framework of the overall environmental assessment al-
ready undertaken, the Commission shall continue to analyse
the progressive substitution of cadmium, taking into account
the need to maintain the availability of electrical vehicles. The
Commission shall finalise and make public its findings by 31
December 2004 at the latest and may make, if proven justified
by the results of the analysis, a proposal to extend the deadline
in accordance with Article 4(2)(b) of Directive 2000/53/EC.

(1) OJ L 269, 21.10.2000, p. 34.

(2) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.
(3) OJ L 135, 6.6.1996, p. 32.

L 170/82

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Official Journal of the European Communities

29.6.2002

Article 3

Article 4

This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2003.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 27 June 2002.

For the Commission

Margot WALLSTRÖM

Member of the Commission

29.6.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 170/83

ANNEX

‘ANNEX II

Materials and components exempt from Article 4(2)(a)

Materials and components

Scope and expiry date
of the exemption

To be labelled or made identifiable
in accordance with Article 4(2)(b)(iv)

Lead as an alloying element

1. Steel

for machining purposes and galvanised
steel containing up to 0,35 % lead by weight

2. a) Aluminium for machining purposes with a

1 July 2005 (1)

lead content up to 2 % by weight

b) Aluminium for machining purposes with a

1 July 2008 (2)

lead content up to 1 % by weight

3. Copper alloy containing up to 4 % lead by

weight

4. Lead-bronze bearing shells and bushes

Lead and lead compounds in components

5. Batteries

6. Vibration dampers

7. Wheel balance weights

Vehicles type-approved before
1 July 2003 and wheel
balance weights intended for
servicing of these vehicles: 1
July 2005 (3)

8. Vulcanising agents and stabilisers for elastomers
in fluid handling and powertrain applications

1 July 2005 (4)

9. Stabiliser in protective paints

1 July 2005

10. Carbon brushes for electric motors

11. Solder in electronic circuit boards and other

electric applications

12. Copper in brake linings containing more than

0,5 % lead by weight

13. Valve seats

Vehicles type-approved before
1 July 2003 and carbon
for electric motors
brushes
intended for servicing of these
vehicles: 1 January 2005

Vehicles type-approved before
1 July 2003 and servicing on
these vehicles: 1 July 2004

Engine types developed before
1 July 2003: 1 July 2006

X

X

X

X (5)

X

L 170/84

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Official Journal of the European Communities

29.6.2002

Materials and components

Scope and expiry date
of the exemption

To be labelled or made identifiable
in accordance with Article 4(2)(b)(iv)

14. Electrical components which contain lead in a
glass or ceramic matrix compound except glass
in bulbs and glaze of spark plugs

X (6) (for components other
than piezo in engines)

15. Glass in bulbs and glaze of spark plugs

1 January 2005

16. Pyrotechnic initiators

1 July 2007

Hexavalent chromium

17. Corrosion preventive coatings

1 July 2007

18. Absorption refrigerators in motorcaravans

Mercury

19. Discharge lamps and instrument panel displays

Cadmium

20. Thick film pastes

1 July 2006

21. Batteries for electrical vehicles

After 31 December 2005, the
placing on the market of
NiCd batteries shall only be
allowed as replacement parts
for vehicles put on the market
before this date.

X

X

X

(1) By 1 January 2005 the Commission shall assess whether the phase-out time scheduled for this entry has to be reviewed in relation to the

availability of substitutes for lead, taking into account the objectives of Article 4(2)(a).

(2) See footnote 1.
(3) By 1 January 2005, the Commission shall assess this exemption in relation to road safety aspects.
(4) See footnote 1.
(5) Dismantling if, in correlation with entry 14, an average threshold of 60 grams per vehicle is exceeded. For the application of this clause,

electronic devices not installed by the manufacturer on the production line shall not be taken into account.

(6) Dismantling if, in correlation with entry 11, an average threshold of 60 grams per vehicle is exceeded. For the application of this clause,

electronic devices not installed by the manufacturer on the production line shall not be taken into account.

Notes:

— a maximum concentration value up to 0,1 % by weight and per homogeneous material,

for lead, hexavalent
chromium and mercury and up to 0,01 % by weight per homogeneous material for cadmium shall be tolerated,
provided these substances are not intentionally introduced (1),

— a maximum concentration value up to 0,4 % by weight of lead in aluminium shall also be tolerated provided it is not

intentionally introduced (2),

— a maximum concentration value up to 0,4 % by weight of lead in copper intended for friction materials in brake

linings shall be tolerated until 1 July 2007 provided it is not intentionally introduced (3),

— the reuse of parts of vehicles which were already on the market at the date of expiry of an exemption is allowed

without limitation since it is not covered by Article 4(2)(a),

— until 1 July 2007, new replacement parts intended for repair (4) of parts of vehicles exempted from the provisions of

Article 4(2)(a) shall also benefit from the same exemptions.’

(1) “Intentionally introduced” shall mean “deliberately utilised in the formulation of a material or component where its continued
presence is desired in the final product to provide a specific characteristic, appearance or quality”. The use of recycled materials as
feedstock for the manufacture of new products, where some portion of the recycled materials may contain amounts of regulated
metals,

is not to be considered as intentionally introduced.

(2) See footnote 1.
(3) See footnote 1.
(4) This clause applies to replacement parts and not to components intended for normal servicing of vehicles. It does not apply to
wheel balance weights, carbon brushes for electric motors and brake linings as these components are covered in specific entries.