This document summarizes a presentation on the recast of the Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). It discusses the objectives of reducing environmental impacts and administrative costs while improving effectiveness. Specifically, it aims to clarify definitions, align with other legislation, increase recovery targets, encourage greater producer responsibility, and avoid illegal exports of WEEE. The recast also proposes collecting 65% of electrical equipment placed on the market to address issues like fragmented implementation across member states.

1. Recast of the Directive on waste
electrical and electronic equipment
(WEEE)
Roundtable
Brussels, 14 July 2009
Thorsten Brunzema
European Commission – DG Environment

2. Background on WEEE
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3. WHY A WEEE DIRECTIVE ?
Fastest growing waste stream
Use of hazardous materials
Before the WEEE Directive, 90% was
landfilled, incinerated or recovered
without pre-treatment
RoHS and WEEE Directives created to
solve this situation
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4. WEEE FACTS AND FIGURES
Yearly 10.3 million tonnes of electrical and
electronic equipment are placed on the market in the
EU-27
WEEE generation: up to 9 mn tonnes per year
Forecast: 12.3 million tonnes of WEEE by 2020
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5. THE PRESENT WEEE DIRECTIVE
Collection of waste (collection target: 4kg/ person yearly)
Collected waste should go under specific treatment –
requirements in the Directive
ex: printed circuit board to be removed from mobile phones
Reuse/recycling and recovery targets for WEEE
ex: for IT and telecommunications equipment : substance
reuse/recycling target is 65%, recovery target is 75%.
Producer responsibility – financing the waste management
Situation changed since WEEE and RoHS - but still not
optimal
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6. Recast of the WEEE Directive
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7. OBJECTIVES OF THE RECAST
Reduced impacts on the environment from the collection,
treatment and recovery of WEEE at the levels where the
greatest net benefit to society results
Reduced administrative costs through the removal of all
unnecessary administrative burdens, without lowering the
level of environmental protection
Improved effectiveness and implementation of the Directive
through increased compliance and reduced free-riding
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8. INDEX
Reduce impacts on the environment
Reduce administrative costs without lowering the level of
environmental protection
Improved effectiveness and implementation
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9. LEAKAGE OF WEEE IS A PROBLEM TODAY
54%
possibly to unauthorised treatment
and / or illegal export
33%
Collection
Household facility/retailer/ Proper
2nd hand shop treatment-
13% recycling-
recovery
Landfills

10. 4 KG COLLECTION TARGET PER CAPITA IMPLIES VERY
DIFFERENT AMBITIONS FOR DIFFERENT MS
Definition of the target needs to be adjusted to WEEE arising in each MS
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11. WEEE ARISING APPEARS TO STATISTICALLY BE
~80% OF EEE PLACED ON THE MARKET IN EU15
Estimated WEEE arising as % of EEE placed on the market
(Data Source: UNU study table 35, table 40 method 2)
Estimates of WEEE arising vary greatly
(~14-24 kg/capita in EU15, ~6-12 in EU12) 300%
For EU15, weight placed on the market, 2 50 %
reported by MS registers, seems the most
stable indicator for WEEE arising
200%
For EU12, relation between EEE placed on
the market and WEEE arising expected to 150 %
stabilise in the coming years.
Necessary flexibility: 10 0 %
80%
- Applicable starting 2016
50 %
- Transitional arrangement
0%
- Re-examination by 2012 ES FI UK FR EE HU SK LT SV
EU15 samples EU12 samples
Common method to calculate EEE placed on MS market to be established
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12. STRONG INDICATIONS THAT SEPARATE COLLECTION IS
ALREADY CLOSE TO ~85% OF WEEE ARISING (1)...
EEE placed on the market by WEEE category Where there is economic value in WEEE,
(Data source: UNU study table 36) there often is informal collection
Categories (CAT) 100% EU15 example (Study Witteveen & Bos):
10 Aut. dispensers
CAT 1:
9 Monit. & control 12% 24% collected and reported
80%
8 Medical devices 76% collected but not reported
12%
7 Toys, leisure, sports
CAT 2 + 4:
60% 9%
6 El. tools 34% collected and reported
43% collected but not reported
5 Lighting equipment
40% CAT 3:
4 Consumer electronics,
TVs 56% 46% collected and reported
3 IT and telecom
equipment
42% collected but not reported
20%
2 Small hh appliances
Indicative calculation:
1 Large hh appliances 56% x 100% + 21% x 77% + 12% x 88%
0% = 83% collected in 4 categories
...reporting, and correctly treating, all separately collected WEEE is the issue
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13. STRONG INDICATIONS THAT SEPARATE COLLECTION IS
ALREADY CLOSE TO ~85% OF WEEE ARISING (2)...
WEEE collected as share of arisising, EU15 example
(Data source: Study Witteveen & Bos)
Collective take 5.7 kg
back scheme (31%)
Disposed through 2.5 kg
scrap dealers (14%)
89%
Brought to 3.6 kg
scrap dealers (19%)
Other collection, 4.7 kg
mainly in shops (25%)
2.0 kg
Waste bin
(11%)
...reporting, and correctly treating, all separately collected WEEE is the issue
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14. PROPOSED COLLECTION TARGET OF 65% CALCULATED
ON THE BASIS OF THE STEPS EXPLAINED
100%
80%
65%
of EEE
placed
80% on the
85% market
EEE placed on WEEE arising Collection
the market target
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15. INDEX
Reduce impacts on the environment
Reduce administrative costs without lowering the level of
environmental protection
Improved effectiveness and implementation
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16. PRESENT WEEE IMPLEMENTATION OFTEN REQUIRES
MULTIPLE REGISTRATION AND EVEN PAYMENT
Flow of EEE in the EU market Flow of data
MS A MS B MS C MS A MS B MS C
Producer sells Registration Registration
1st time in EU as producer as producer
on MS market on MS market
Trader re-sells Trader re-sells
Payment Payment
Trader re-sells
Registration
Trader re-sells as importer
on MS market
Disposal Disposal
Payment
Collection Collection
Compliance Compliance Compliance
Treatment Treatment
scheme scheme scheme
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17. FRAGMENTED WEEE IMPLEMENTATION LEADS TO A
NUMBER OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
Flow of data
MS A MS B MS C
Multiple registration
Registration Registration
Multiple fee as producer as producer
Multiple legal seat on MS market on MS market
Legal uncertainty Payment Payment
27 registers can differ:
-reporting formats
-reporting frequency Registration
-product categories as importer
on MS market
Risk of non-cooperation
Lack of cooperation Payment
between compliance
between compliance
schemes – potential
schemes – potential
orphan waste
orphan waste
Compliance Compliance Compliance
scheme scheme scheme
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18. COMMISSION PROPOSAL TACKLES THIS PROBLEM
FROM TWO SIDES
Explicit reference to „community market“ in producer and market
definitions
One registration for the community market
One fee in the community market
One legal seat in the EU
Requirement for inter-operable registers
All information relevant across the community market
entered into one register
Intra-community transfer of information, incl. for the transfer
of money
Format and frequency of reporting to be established through
Comitology
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19. INDEX
Reduce impacts on the environment
Reduce administrative costs without lowering the level of
environmental protection
Improved effectiveness and implementation
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20. IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE DIRECTIVE
Clarified scope definition
Scope refers to RoHS (Art. 95); Exclusions clarified; Waste from
private households vs. other
Alignment with other Community legislation
Waste Framework Directive; Marketing of Products Package
Modification of recovery targets
Recovery targets increased; Preparation for re-use included
Encouragement for greater producer responsibility
Producers role in collection targets and financing
Avoid leakage of WEEE, especially to sub-treatment countries
Binding inspection and monitoring requirements for shipments
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21. OBJECTIVES OF THE RECAST
Reduced impacts on the environment from the collection,
treatment and recovery of WEEE at the levels where the
greatest net benefit to society results
Reduced administrative costs through the removal of all
unnecessary administrative burdens, without lowering the
level of environmental protection
Improved effectiveness and implementation of the Directive
through increased compliance and reduced free-riding
Thank you for your attention.
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