Originally published August 15, 2005
By Steve Shimberg (Washington, D.C.) and Teresa Hitchcock (Sheffield, U.K.)
This summer the European Union is beginning to implement two broad new environmental law directives that have significant global impact on producers and distributors who operate internationally. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directives regulate the handling of electrical and electronic equipment when it is discarded and the materials permitted to be used in such equipment.
Scope of WEEE Directive Is Wide
The WEEE Directive imposes obligations regarding the collection, re-use, recycling, and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment made by any "producer" (manufacturer or importer) of electrical and electronic equipment within the European Union. It will also affect producers operating outside of the European Union who sell products into an EU member state, particularly where they sell
