Brussels, 11/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The new directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which will replace Directive 2002/96/EC that has been in force since 2003, has been adopted. In Brussels on Friday 9 June, the Council of the EU carried out its formal adoption, without debate. The compromise reached in trialogue in January of this year (see EUROPE 10536) paved the way for this step forward.
By bringing in ambitious objectives for the collection, re-use and recycling of waste electronic devices, this legislation will help to reduce waste and bring in a rational use of resources within the EU and will limit illegal exports of this waste from the EU. But it also aims to improve the environmental performances of all operators - producers, distributors and consumers - throughout the entire life-cycle of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).
This means that four years after the entry into force of the present directive, the member states must collect annually 45% of the average weight of electrical and electronic equipment placed on their national markets. Three years later, member states will have to achieve a 65% collection rate. Countries of Central and Eastern Europe in which consumers use fewer electronic devices will have a certain flexibility to achieve these targets.
The scope of application of the current directive has been extended to cover all electric and electronic equipment - including photovoltaic panels, equipment containing ozone-depleting substances and fluorescent lamps containing mercury - which will have to be collected separately and properly treated six years after the entry into force of the new directive. The Commission can propose changes after analysing the impact of the open scope on businesses and the environment.
The new directive establishes producer responsibility, as a means of encouraging design and production of EEE which take into full account and facilitate its repair, upgrading, re-use, disassembly and recycling. In retail stores with sales areas given over to EEE of at least 400 m², or in their immediate proximity, the collection of very small WEE (no more than 25 cm) will be provided for, to be free of charge to end users. (AN/transl.fl).