In Your Country

After its publication in 2012, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) is being transposed by each Member State into national law.

This section features country-specific information plus other WEEE-related information which you might find useful to understand how this EU regulation may affect your household or business.

Keep in mind that, even if your country has not concluded the process of transposing this directive into national law, WEEE’s overarching principles and obligations still apply.

We are working hard to maintain the information in this section as up to date as possible. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have specific queries about WEEE in your country.

Has WEEE introduced any specific collection rates?

WEEE has established collection rates targets that are particularly ambitious. As of today, the EU prescribes the collection of 4 kg of WEEE waste per capita, representing about 2 million tons per year out of the 10 million tonnes of e-waste generated on average each year in Europe. By 2016, collection targets will be raised to 65% of all electric and electronic equipment. By 2019, final collection targets will be in place reaching up to 85% of WEEE-regulated waste in each Member State. It is estimated that in 2020 around 10 million tonnes of e-waste, or roughly 20kg per capita, will be separately collected in the EU.

It is important to note that when applied to photovoltaic (PV) modules, this approach bears some risks. PV modules have a long life-span and large quantities have been installed only in recent years. As a result, the waste generated by PV panels will remain limited for many years to come, especially when compared to the volumes placed on the market in the last decade.

In addition, there are great differences in the quantities of panels installed among European countries. PV technologies have experienced a rapid growth in some countries, which today have a large number of panels installed and producing clean energy, while penetration has been minimal in some others. It is unknown whether these targets will be revised any time soon for photovoltaic modules, although this seems advisable taking into consideration the intrinsic nature of such long-lasting technology.