IPC urges members to resist ban of Tetrabromobisphenol(a).

Press Release Summary:



IPC campaign encourages members in Germany and Sweden to contact respective environmental agencies and government officials, urging they resist ban of Tetrabromobisphenol(a) (TBBPA). In EU Risk Assessment, TBBPA flame retardant was found not to be harmful to environment or human health. European Union Council, Germany, and Sweden environmental agencies are calling for restriction of TBBPA under RoHS, which is based on faulty, unscientific report published last year by Öko Institut.



Original Press Release:



Contention over Tetrabromobisphenol(a) Continues



BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, July 6, 2009 - IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries® is mounting an advocacy campaign encouraging its members in Germany and Sweden to contact their respective environmental agencies and government officials, urging that they resist a ban of Tetrabromobisphenol(a) (TBBPA).

TBBPA is a popular flame retardant used in more than 80 percent of the world's printed circuit boards (PCBs). A comprehensive EU Risk Assessment found TBBPA not harmful to the environment or to human health.

However, as discussions of the proposed revisions to the RoHS Directive proceed among members of the European Union Council, Germany and Sweden's environmental agencies are calling for the restriction of TBBPA under RoHS - a substance not currently on the list of proposed restrictions.

Recently, Germany's federal environmental agency, Umwelt Bundes Amt (UBA), published a newsletter calling for the restriction of TBBPA under RoHS, www.ipc.org/UBA-newsletter. The basis for UBA's position is the faulty and unscientific report published last year by the Öko Institut. Information about the electronics manufacturing industry's concerns with the Öko Institut report is available at www.ipc.org/Industry-response. Growing pressure from the Swedish government is spurred by a report from the Swedish chemicals agency, Kemikalieinspektionen, www.ipc.org/KEMI-report.

"As we continue to monitor global environmental activities, it is imperative that we engage the support of IPC members in affected regions. We continue to lobby governments directly, but we also recognize that government officials respond best to companies located in their country. Our strategic advocacy efforts are always strengthened with the active support of industry members," said Fern Abrams, IPC director of environmental policy and government relations.

For more information on IPC's advocacy efforts, visit www.IPC.org/ehs or contact Fern Abrams at fernabrams@ipc.org or +1 703-522-0225.

About IPC

IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.

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