EU WEEE Article 7 Project

The aim of the project is to support the European Commission – Directorate General Environment (DG ENV) by providing the necessary scientific data, results and common quantification methodology according to WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU Article 7 provisions. By means of effective translation of technical findings into practical measures (reports, draft implementing acts, impact assessment and possible legislative proposals), these activities and results will in turn guide and enable the accomplishment of the requirements outlined in Articles 7(4), 7(5), 7(6) and 7(7) of the WEEE Directive. 

Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (recast)

The aim of this questionnaire is to identify and verify potential implementation difficulties faced by Member States.

The project team identified several difficulties through a detailed literature survey and several bilateral meetings conducted on the issue. These difficulties are grouped under 7 main categories.

I - Complex Market Structure: Existing market structure of WEEE consists of a complex web of interacting stakeholders. This complexity makes it challenging to reach collection targets.

II - Complications Concerning Calculation of State Specific Collection Targets: There are no established methods for determining the amount of the EEE put on the market or the WEEE generated. Without overcoming these knowledge gaps, it is difficult for the Member States to estimate and to meet the collection targets.

III - High Rate of Unofficial (Unaccounted) Activities: Only 1/3 of WEEE collected in the EU treated is according to the Directive’s requirements. The remaining high percentage, 2/3% of WEEE collected in the EU is completely unaccounted-for; either landfilled, sent to sub-standard treatment facilities, or illegally exported.

IV - Inadequate Collection Infrastructure: Low number of WEEE collection facilities/centers is one of the main challenges to reach required collection targets. Without a proper and widely accessible collection infrastructure it is not possible to treat, recycle or recover WEEE generated.

V - Legal Uncertainties:Most of the Member States have difficulties in transposing the Directive to their national legislation. This creates uncertanity among stakeholders of their legal obligations.

VI - Limited Government Capacities: Implementation capacity of responsible public institutions is important to ensure that the actors dealing with WEEE in different levels comply with Directive's requirements.

VII - Limited Public Awareness:Consumers are one of the most important stakeholders for WEEE management, in particular for WEEE collection. Consumers are responsible for bringing and dropping of their WEEE to the collection points. Thus, creating sense of responsibility is a crucial step to reach required collection targets.

The first question aims to validate the identified difficulties and grade their impact on implementation.

The identified difficulties are listed alphabetically.

We advise you to review this question after answering the remaining ones.

Order of importance:

0=Not Applicable, 1=Irrelevant, 2=Unimportant, 3=Slightly Important, 4=Important, 5=Very Important, 6=Critical

Existing market structure for WEEE consists of a complex web of interacting stakeholders. This complexity makes it challenging to reach collection targets.

There are no established methods for determining the amount of the EEE put on the market or the WEEE generated. Without overcoming these knowledge gaps, it will be difficult for the Member States to estimate and to meet the collection targets. 

Approximately 2/3 of WEEE collected in the EU is completely unaccounted for, either landfilled, sent to sub-standard treatment facilities or illegally exported. Only 1/3 of e-waste collected in the EU treated is according to the Directive’s requirements.

Low number of WEEE collection facilities/centers is one of the main challenges to reach required collection targets. Without a proper and widely accessible collection infrastructure it is not possible to treat, recycle or recover WEEE generated.

Most of the Member States have difficulties in transposing the Directive to their national legislation. This creates uncertanity among stakeholders of their legal obligations.

Implementation capacity of responsible public institutions is important to ensure that the actors dealing with WEEE in different levels comply with Directive's requirements.

Consumers are one of the most important stakeholders for WEEE management, in particular for WEEE collection. Consumers are responsible for bringing and dropping of their WEEE to the collection points. Thus, creating sense of responsibility is a crucial step to reach required collection targets.