Our long-term quality strategy alone makes it a matter of course that we implement the applicable directives and legal regulations for our products in due time.

Of course, this also applies for the directive WEEE 2002/96/EC and the national implementation in the German Elektro- und Elektronikgerätegesetz of March 16 th , 2005 resulting from it.

After careful consideration of the area of application defined there, we came to the conclusion that our products which are industrial and medical video cameras do not belong to the area of application the directive comprises.

Subsequently, we enclosed an extract of the statement of the German EAR-Stiftung (Foundation waste electrical and electronic equipment register), which you can find at the following link

http://www.stiftung-ear.de/stiftung_ear/fragen_und_antworten/anwendungsbereich_elektrog/

According to the definitions of the EU F&Q list and the EMC directive, a device belongs to the area of application of the ElektroG if it

• fulfils an independent function desired by end user, and
• is offered as single selling unit in trade, and
• is intended for direct use by the intended end user, i.e.
• if the end user himself can put the device into operation without installation by qualified personnel, and
• at the utmost, simple connections with other devices are required like e.g. cable plug-in connections, and
• a manual is enclosed which is directed at the end user.

A device which is provided with the CE mark pursuant to the law on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) with the utmost probability fulfils the mentioned requirements and therefore belongs to the area of application of the ElektroG.

Components and modules do not belong to the area of application of the
ElektroG if they do not possess the features of devices in the above mentioned sense themselves.

Auxiliary facilities which are installed in a device but are connected to it by simple connections usually belong to the area of application of the ElektroG because they are to be understood as independent devices in the above mentioned sense. For example, peripheral devices of a PC like printer, keyboard, mouse, scanner, USB memory sticks etc. are all independent devices which all of them independently belong to the area of application of the ElektroG. Also auxiliary facilities which can be installed in a device by the end user himself and which possess an independent function are devices in the sense of the ElektroG and belong to its area of application. Examples: drives, additional memories, CD writers which are available in trade for the installation in a PC by the end user.

On the basis of these considerations, we decided in favour of the following approach

1.Our products are never passed on to end users by NET GmbH.

2. It is true that §3 Abs. 1 ElektroG is applicable, but our products can be operated as part of another device only and must therefore be considered as component which does not belong to the area of application of the ElektroG.

3. Furthermore, the products cannot be considered as end devices with independent function (see guideline for the directive 89/336/EG [EMC directive], chap. 3.8).

That is the reason why we did not register at EAR. Conversely, this means that our products do neither belong to the area of application of the RoHS (Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) , since this directive in turn refers to the appendix of the directive WEEE to which we, as aforementioned, do not belong.

Since, however, you as our customer need products compliant to the rules, we have adapted many of our products to the RoHS directive. Since this topic is too complicated to be recapitulated sufficiently here, we request you to contact our Sales Department if you have any questions.