^{Date:              20 June 2008
Embargo:       None}

Review of EU WEEE Directive

Responding to the European Commission’s consultation on the review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, ESA welcomed the opportunity to reflect on Member States’ practical experiences of the legislation and consider whether the intentions of the Directive are being achieved. ESA also reiterated its support for producer responsibility initiatives as a method of securing environmental protection.

In its consultation document, the Commission posed questions on key issues, including WEEE collection targets, targets for recovery, reuse and recycling, and the scope and width of the Directive. ESA noted that separate collection was an essential precondition to ensuring that WEEE is treated and handled in an environmental sustainable manner, but that a uniform collection target (expressed in kg per inhabitant per year) was a blunt instrument that neglected variations in arisings between Member States. ESA argued that targets specific to each Member State (for example, reflecting annual arisings), offered greater potential to attain higher environmental standards.

ESA argued that it was not in favour of suggestions for a legal requirement to be placed on collection points to hand WEEE to producer responsibility organisations, or to allow reuse organisations to have free access to collected WEEE. ESA’s response also drew attention to growing evidence of electronic waste being exported outside the EU, purportedly for reuse, by those seeking to avoid transfrontier shipment of waste regulations by claiming that the material has not been discarded and therefore remains a ‘good’.

ESA has also responded to the Defra consultation on proposals for the establishment of joint waste authorities in England. The consultation published draft regulations and draft guidance for local authorities wishing to establish joint waste authorities (JWAs) to try and realise efficiencies through improved economies of scale and the integration of waste collection and disposal services. ESA is generally supportive of the proposals to formalise JWAs, subject to concerns on funding and governance.

ENDS