In a statement issued on the publication of the European Commission’s new Ecodesign requirements for electronic displays, the International Bromine Council (BSEF) called for the removal of the ban on halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) which it regards as “unwarranted”.

In the opinion of the Council, the ban is unjustified and disproportionate and not coherent with EU legislation on chemicals as it targets a whole class of flame retardants, including several brominated flame retardants, and bans them even though they are correctly registered and not subject to any regulatory restriction.

“The European Union has legislative instruments for addressing restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and it’s called RoHS. Equally, REACh provides for the restriction of chemical uses in articles and products” noted Kevin Bradley, secretary general of BSEF. “Clearly, the Commission has made a mistake and it needs to correct it”, he added.

BSEF objected to the argument that HFRs in enclosures and stands of electronic displays hinder recycling of WEEE plastics, which it regards as the main rationale for including a ban on these substances. “The facts on the ground within the recycling industry do not support this”, commented Bradley. “Yes, BFR-containing plastics do have to be separated and treated separately under the EU WEEE Directive, but this is being well managed by innovative plastics and polymer recyclers”, he said.

BSEF and its member companies would fully support the European Commission efforts to improve product design for material and energy efficiency that can help meet the challenges of climate change and the circular economy. However, in the Council’s view this ban has no benefit whatsoever with respect to either objective.