WEEE Directive: stakeholder workshop on potential revision

On 23^rd June, the consulting firm Rambøll Group and the Austrian environmental agency – contracted by the European Commission – organised a stakeholder workshop on the potential revision of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.

The workshop is part of the stakeholder engagement process and explained the ongoing project to do an evaluation study.

The study is running until January 2024 – following a strict Commission procedure – and will conclude with a recommendation as to whether a recast of the WEEE Directive is necessary (and for which aspects).

It will result in a Commission staff working document which is expected for Q2 2024. Any revision process, which is likely, will not finish before 2026.

Dr Thomas Fischer, Landbell Group’s Head of Market Intelligence and Governmental Affairs, contributed to the workshop. Moreover, to support the stakeholder process, Landbell Group’s local subsidiaries were asked for their input by national ministries earlier this year.

The workshop dealt specifically with producers and producer responsibility organisations and asked the attendees for their input. The following subjects were highlighted most by the attendees:

• Collection targets versus calculation method
• Enforcement
• Parallel waste flows / other actors
• Quality standards / level playing field
• Proper alignment with other policies – Eco-Design, RoHS, REACH, CRMA, WFD
• Eco-design and reuse/repair
• Fee-modulation
• Freeriding / online sales
• Harmonisation
• PV panels and similar products with increasing sales and long lifetimes

A second stakeholder workshop is planned for September 2023.

Moreover, on 16^th June, the Commission also launched a related public consultation: Waste from electrical and electronic equipment – evaluating the EU rules. Landbell Group company, European Recycling Platform will contribute to the consultation, which closes on 22^nd September 2023.

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