EU launches WEEE consultation

The European Union has launched a public consultation on a review of its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, with a new mandatory collection target expected before the end of the year.

The revision comes five years after the WEEE Directive was adopted into European law, but just months after the legislation, which aims to promote producer responsibility for the recycling and reuse of WEEE, was finally implemented in the UK (see letsrecycle.com story).

Interested parties have until June 5 to offer their opinions on a review which aims “to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Directive in achieving its environmental goals, and to eliminate any unnecessary costs to business, consumers, NGOs and public authorities arising from implementation of the directive”.

“Strengthening the objectives of the Directive entails that at least the same level of environmental protection is kept: further simplifying, developing and improving the Directive will address the ways to achieve these objectives as well as how to tackle the problems encountered,” the consultation document adds.

Stakeholders are asked to offer their views on four main areas, including a revision of the national targets for WEEE collection, reuse and recycling, with the aim being to introduce a new mandatory target by December 31 2008.

The WEEE Directive currently includes a collection target of four kilograms, per head of the population, per year, with data published by the Environment Agency in March revealing that the UK's rate of collection was comfortably above that target last year (see letsrecycle.com story).

The consultation also asks stakeholders to consider the scope of the WEEE Directive, including seeking to clarify the product categories that WEEE falls into, as well as examining the possible expansion of the Directive to include other electrical products.

Producer responsibility provisions will also be looked at, with the consultation stating that the varied approach from country to country means that “there is evidence that this flexibility leads to variable (and hence no optimal) contribution to the improvement of the environmental performance of operators and systems”.

Finally, it asks interested parties to consider options for improving the treatment of WEEE, including the potential for the introduction of Europe-wide treatment standards.

Those contributing to the consultation are asked to support their opinions with “detailed evidence on the economic, social and environmental impacts of the policy options.

“In particular, we would welcome any additional quantitative data, studies and evaluations which would allow us to analyse the full costs and benefits of potential changes in the operation of the Directive,” it adds.

While the WEEE Directive was introduced in the UK last July, issues over WEEE collection data have caused concerns among the producer compliance schemes who are tasked with ensuring that producers of electrical and electronics equipment meet their responsibilities (see letsrecycle.com story).