DTI appoints VCA as the
distributor enforcement body for the WEEE regulations
DEPARTMENT OF TRADE
AND INDUSTRY News Release (Reference P/2007/97) issued by The
Government News Network on 18 May 2007
The Science and
Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wicks, today announced the
appointment of the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) as the
enforcement body for the distributor obligations under the Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.
Mr Wicks said:
"This agency has an important role to play in ensuring that
distributors comply with their obligations under the WEEE
Regulations. Free-riding will not be tolerated, and a robust
process will be in place to serve notice and ultimately prosecute
distributors who are unwilling to become compliant.
"From 1 July, this agency will also make sure that retailers
and distributors of electrical equipment play their part in
helping household users dispose of WEEE at the end of life, as
well as market surveillance and inspections. "
From 1 July, distributors of electrical and electronic equipment
will have to provide facilities for their customers to return old
electrical equipment free of charge when they buy a replacement
item. Distributors, including distance sellers, have two options:
1. They can either join the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS)
which supports a network of primarily local authority collection
points where customers can return their waste electricals.
2. Or they can allow customers to bring goods back to the store.
Whether members of the DTS or providing takeback in store,
distributors also have to make information available to consumers
on how they can dispose of WEEE and the environmental benefits of
doing so.
Notes to editors
1. The WEEE Directive aims to address the environmental impact of
electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and to promote its
separate collection when it becomes waste (WEEE). WEEE is a
priority waste stream for the EU because of its growing volume in
the municipal waste stream and its potential hazardousness
following disposal.
2. The Directive introduces producer responsibility for waste
electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Producers will have
to finance treatment and recycling/recovery of separately
collected WEEE in the UK to specified treatment standards and
recycling/recovery targets. Retailers have an obligation to offer
take-back services to householders. The Directive does not place
any obligations on householders, and they will be not be
prohibited from throwing WEEE away with general domestic rubbish.
It will however encourage more WEEE to be reused or recycled by
ensuring that there is a network of facilities in place where
householders can return their used equipment free of charge.
3. VCA, an executive agency of the Department for Transport, is
the United Kingdom's national approval authority for new road
vehicles, agricultural tractors and off-road vehicles. In
addition, VCA offer management system certification and training
services against the requirements of ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001,
QS-9000, ISO/TS 16949, EMAS and OHSAS 18001. As an executive
agency of the UK Department for Transport, VCA is closely linked
with Government and European policy formulation and the
enforcement of vehicle safety and environmental standards.
4. VCA provide expert international testing, training and
certification services for vehicles, their systems and components.
Type Approval is the testing and certification process applied
throughout all the European Member States to ensure that a range
of safety and environmental standards are met by both vehicle and
component manufacturers before their products can enter into the
market place.
Department of Trade and Industry
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