IMDS: application codes to be updated following publication of the ELV Regulation

Following the recent publication of the new ELV Regulation, the IMDS system is preparing to introduce important updates to the application codes, with the aim of aligning their descriptions and validity criteria with the requirements set out by ELV legislation.

The planned changes include updating the descriptions of numerous application codes, which will be revised to reflect the currently applicable ELV requirements and the related validity periods.

One of the main new features also concerns the introduction of threshold checks for certain specific categories of materials. In particular, the following will be affected:

• recycled aluminium alloys containing unintentionally added lead, up to 0.4% by weight;
• copper alloys containing lead as an alloying element, up to 4% by weight.

The new checks will be intended to support the correct selection of application codes in compliance with the requirements of Annex II to the ELV Directive.

For operators involved in managing IMDS data, these updates therefore make it even more important to carefully verify the correct association between materials, substances and application codes, especially where substances subject to specific restrictions are present.

For companies managing information on materials intended for the automotive sector, it will therefore be important to monitor the evolution of IMDS requirements and promptly assess the impact of these changes on data collection, verification and transmission processes throughout the supply chain. In a constantly evolving regulatory and information-management context, keeping procedures and information flows aligned is a key element in ensuring the quality of shared data and responding to the requests of automotive-sector customers.