EU looks set to adopt staged WEEE targets

Plans to introduce staged, percentage based targets for collecting WEEE look set to be approved by MEPs next week, after the European Parliament and the Commission reached a decision to reject a higher, single target.

It is now expected that proposals put forward by European environment ministers to introduce a target to collect 45% of all WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) placed on the market in 2016, rising to 65% by 2019, will be confirmed at a vote on the recast of the WEEE directive in Brussels next Thursday (January 19).

It had looked likely that a higher 85% collection target might be introduced in 2016, after EU WEEE recast rapporteur Karl-Heinz Florenz had opted in favour of this target in his report to the EU Commission in August 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story). But, after discussions between the Parliament and Commission in December 2011, both parties have opted for the lower targets.

Agreement

The December talks were the fourth attempt to reach a second reading agreement on the WEEE recast and failure to do so would have lead to conciliation talks, which would have caused a further delay to the legislation.

Currently member states are required to meet a weight-based WEEE recycling target which states that a minimum of 4kg of WEEE must be collected for each member of the countrys population. The proposals would alter this so that member states would be required to collect WEEE as a proportion of the amount of electronic goods that are generated.

If the European Parliament approves the proposals at next weeks vote as expected, the recast will only need a rubber stamp from the European Council to pass into law, and according to an EU representative, could be made official within weeks.

A European Union spokesperson told letsrecycle.com: After negotiations between the Parliament and Commission, an agreement was reached in favour of the staged targets. The agreement will be put to a vote in parliament next week, but nobody expects it to be voted down.

Legislation

If, as anticipated, MEPs vote in favour of the changes to the WEEE Directive, the requirements for member states will be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Member states, including the UK, will then be required to produce legislation to support the proposals within two years.

Ten member states have been identified as currently lacking the facilities required to meet the targets, and under the proposals a lower target has been recommended to allow these nations to catch up with other member states. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will be set a 40% minimum WEEE collection rate from 2014 and may also be given the option to request further time to meet the 65% target.

Also included in the agreement are plans that would require retailers of electronics goods to introduce free collection schemes for smallwaste electrical items. The plans would apply to any retailer with a shop-space of 400 sqmetres or larger, and it is understood that if the proposals are agreed, customers would be able to return waste electrical items to any electronics retailer, regardless of where it was originally purchased.