EU Regulatory Update: New Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

EU Member States have until February 14, 2014 to implement into their national laws the new WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU which was recently published in the Official Journal.

The new WEEE Directive introduces significant changes to Directive 2002/96/EC to improve collection, re-use and recycling of used electronic devices including:

• revising collection and recovery targets: from 2016, EU member states must collect annually 45% of the average weight of EEE placed on their national markets; from 2016, EU member states are to achieve a 65 % collection rate (with certain exceptions);
• widening the scope of EEE covered by the legislation;
• providing for collection at large retail shops of small WEEE free of charge to end-users; and
• introducing tighter controls on illegal shipments of e-waste from the EU.

In order to obtain assistance for compliance with WEEE legislation or any other EU regulatory issues, please contact the professional listed to the left, or your regular Crowell & Moring contact.