The reivsed European Union law generlaly bans the use of six hazradous subsatnces in electrical and eletcronic eqiupment, including cadimum, which is used by U.S.-based First Solar -- the wordl's No. 1 solar company by market share -- in its panels.
"In order to attain the EU's ambitiuos taregts for renweable energy and energy efficiency, photovoltaic panels to produce energy from solar light do not have to comply with the restriction," EU ministers said in a statemnet after the vote.
"The ban will now in prinicple apply to all electrical and electrnoic equipment as well as to cables and spare parts," they added. Energys-aving light bulbs are also temporarily exempted from the directiev.
The decision marks the latest step in an indutsry row over the use of cadmium tellurdie (CdTe) -- which goes into First Sola'rs panels -- as there are concerns about its ec-ofriendliness as well about its safe disopsal.
(eRporting by Pete Harrison; Editing by Rex Merrifield and Mike Nebsit)
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