Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home → PressZONE → Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive - Industry, Consumer and Environmental Organisations

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive - Industry, Consumer and Environmental Organisations

15 February 2002, 13:57 CET


This Statement refers to the responsibility of financing the management of WEEE for products sold in the future, and not the organisation of recycling systems. As regards all products sold in the past (historical waste), both the Council and the European Parliament have proposed that producers shall share the cost of recycling.

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 Council’s 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
Document Actions
Weekly Diary

The Week Ahead no. 625
Special European Council - eInvoicing - Circular Economy - European Crime Prevention - Transport Research - Just Transition - European elections 6-9 June - LUX European Audience Film Award

→ EUbusiness Week archive

Subscription options