Techno Bits

Following the UK's failure to transpose the European Unions (EU) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive into law by 13 August 2004, government agency officials have re issued a new target transposition of WEEE into UK law for summer 2005.

A recent update on the UK's position regarding the proposed timetable for implementation, announced by the DTI WEEE implementation team, confirmed that the UK plans to transpose the WEEE Directive into Law via UK Legislation some time in summer 2005.

Additionally it was confirmed that the government intends to push back the deadline for the financial obligations associated with the European Unions WEEE Directive from August this year to January 2006. For all electronic and electrical equipment falling within the scope of the WEEE Directive, the 13 August date remains the deadline for the marking of electrical and electronic equipment, including the marking to show whether it is put on the market after this date.

The remaining producer responsibility obligations for household and non-household WEEE and the associate take-back obligations on retailers and distributors have been moved back to January 2006.

Following formal notification from European Commission following the TAC committee discussions of March 16 05 in relation to the maximum concentration values for the substances restricted by the EU's Restriction of Hazardous Substance (RoHS) Directive, the Mabbett Group expect the UK government to make regulations to transpose the RoHS Directive into UK law in the near future.

The DTI WEEE implementation team confirmed that the RoHS substance 'ban' deadline of 1 July 2006 still applies.

For more information please contact Geraldine Boylan, boylan@mabbett.com.

Posted - April 18, 2005