Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Directive)

The Proposal for a Directive is to recast the "WEEE Directive" 2002/96/EC, which regulates the waste management of electrical and electronic equipment. The adverse impact of this waste on the environment and human health is to be prevented and used more efficiently as a source of raw materials. Producers must meet an annual minimum rate in each Member State for overall recovery, as well as for the preparation for the re-use and recycling of WEEE. Registration and reporting obligations should now be harmonised and the national registers should be made inter-operable.

cepPolicyBrief

The introduction of binding minimum rates for the collection, recovery, re-use and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment is inherently inappropriate, as producers have virtually no influence on the attainability of these rates. However, the proposed simplification of the reporting obligations for producers is to be welcomed, as this increases efficiency.