Improving the collection, treatment and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment can increase resource efficiency and support the transition to a circular economy.

It can also contribute to the security of supply of key raw materials and ultimately increase the EU’s strategic autonomy. In this context, a draft report on the revision of the Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) by ECR rapporteur Anna Zalewska was today overwhelmingly adopted by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

“The amount of electronic waste generated in the EU is increasing every year. It covers a wide range of used equipment such as mobile phones, computers, televisions, refrigerators, domestic appliances and, lamps, but also medical equipment and photovoltaic panels,” said Ms Zalewska after the vote.

“Improving the collection, treatment and recycling of e-waste can increase resource efficiency and support the transition to a circular economy. It can also contribute to the security of supply of key raw materials and ultimately increase the EU’s strategic autonomy”.

A priority of the report was to ensure that the planned revision of the Directive fully and correctly implements the Court of Justice ruling of 25 January 2022. In this judgment, the Court criticised the unjustified retroactive effect of the obligation for producers to bear the costs of the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of waste from photovoltaic modules put on the market between 13 August 2005 and 13 August 2012. It was therefore important to underline the need to maintain legal certainty and to introduce provisions to avoid cases of unjustified retroactivity in the future.

The text received 82 votes in favour, 2 abstentions and 0 votes against.