OÜ Eesti Elektroonikaromu is an association of producers of electrical and electronic equipment.

PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS

On 13 August 2005, electrical and electronic equipment became subject to the principle of producer responsibility, meaning that electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market must be recalled at the end of its useful life by the producer and treated appropriately. Producers, within the meaning of the relevant legislation, encompasses all importers of electrical and electronic equipment. In addition to the responsibility established for equipment placed on the market after 13 August 2005, applicable legislation also makes producers responsible for products placed in circulation before that date, i.e. historical waste. Historical waste falls under the joint responsibility of all importers operating in the market, and the related costs are distributed between them in proportion to each importer’s market share in the sale of the corresponding type of electrical and electronic equipment.

PRINCIPLE OF PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY

Requirements for the collection, recovery, and treatment of waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) have been established at the EU level by EU Directive 2002/96/EC, more widely known as the WEEE Directive. In Estonia, the requirements set out in the WEEE Directive are reflected in the Waste Act and the regulations of the Government of the Republic and the Minister of the Environment adopted on the basis of the Waste Act.

The Waste Act introduces the principle of producer responsibility, according to which producers must ensure the collection and the recovery or disposal of waste generated from EEE manufactured, resold, or imported by them. The related costs must be borne by the producer, which means that producers must arrange for the acceptance, collection, recovery, and treatment of waste generated from their products. It is important to note here that ‘producer’ does not refer only to producers in the traditional sense of the word: within the meaning of the relevant legislation, ‘producers’ also means all importers of electrical and electronic equipment.