Apple will stop selling Airport Base Stations, eMacs and iSight cameras in Europe after June 30, reports claim. According to reports, the company contacted channel partners this morning to confirm plans to withdraw these products.
If the sources are correct, the cessation of sales of the three products is to ensure that the company complies with new European Union environmental regulation - the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2005 (RoHS).
These new regulations come into force on July 1, and are designed to minimise the impacts of electrical and electronic equipment on the environment during their life times and when they become waste. Among other statutes, the new laws will limit or prevent the sale of CRT-based technologies, such as the eMac, some claim. The move lends some weight to a recent Apple Insider report that claimed a new eMac featuring an LCD screen to be in development.
Producers must be able to demonstrate compliance by submitting technical or other information to the enforcing authority on request. They must retain such documentation for four years. In the UK, the Secretary of State has the duty of enforcing RoHS Regulations. The enforcement powers include a power to serve a compliance notice and make test purchases. Any person who fails to comply with the requirements of the Regulations will be guilty of an offence.
Apple is not the only manufacturer to be affected by the new laws. Other electronic good makers are expected to make similar announcements and remove certain products from their range in the coming weeks.
It"s believed manufacturers of electrical devices will also have to establish systems to safely dispose of legacy products as they reach the end of their useful life, but no more is known on this at this time.