Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive - Industry, Consumer and Environmental Organisations
The European Parliament has concluded its First Reading and the Council has adopted its Common Position on the proposed WEEE directive. The Second Reading of the European Parliament will be completed by April 2002.
One of the objectives of introducing producer responsibility is to create incentives for producers to improve the design of their products with a view to enhancing their environmental performance. We support this ambition.
The European Parliament has made a constructive proposal that would secure this objective by establishing a strong producer responsibility, whereas the Councils Common Position fails to create the necessary incentives.
In addition, through its Article 7.4 the Council has proposed that existing producers should always finance the recycling of products from producers that disappear, or where the producer cannot be identified. Our opinion is that this stands on weak legal grounds. It would also become a dangerous incentive for free-riding, meaning short-sighted actors (producer = importer and/or manufacturer) would be able to place products on the market without addressing how these products should be recycled in the future.
Instead, the Parliament has proposed that each producer would be required to provide appropriate guarantees for the management of WEEE. This establishes the necessary legal instrument for proper enforcement and addresses the issue of free-riders. This is essential to avoid placing unjustified burdens on tax-payers and consumers.
For the second reading, we urge the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission to:
- Support the proposal of the European Parliament for financing on a individual basis and the need to provide appropriate guarantees for the financing of the management of WEEE (and the section of Article 3 defining individual financing)
- Reject the proposal of the Council regarding free-riders (Article 7.4 of Council Common Position)
AeA (American Electronics Association) Europe
Association of Netherlands ICT Sector (ICT Milieu)
Bellona Europa - Environmental NGO
BEUC - The European Consumers Organisation
Confederation of Swedish Enterprise
European Environmental Bureau
Japan Business Council in Europe
SRI - The Swedish Recycling Industries Association
Swiss Association of Information, Communication and Organisation Technology
VI - Association of Swedish Engineering Industries
WWF-UK (Part of the global environmental network)
Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie e.V (ZVEI) -
The German Electrical And Electronic Manufacturers Association
AB Electrolux
Agilent Technologies
Apple Europe
Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH
Hewlett-Packard
ICL plc
IKEA Service Center S.A
Intel Corporation
Laensfoersaekringar Insurance Group
Lucent Technologies
Nokia
Oekopol Institute, Hamburg
Sanyo
Siemens AG
Sony
Sun Microsystems
The Gillette Group Europe/ Braun