On 9 April 2013 the new cost regulation to ElektroG (ElektroGKostV) comes into effect. Thereby, the fees for pick-up and provision orders (fee fact no. 2 and 3) increase.

The increasing fees can be explained by the decreasing amount of orders, which are due to the rise of optings (meaning: public waste disposal authorities organize the disposal instead of allowing them to influence the pick-up coordination).

Other fees raised by stiftung ear remain unchanged (link to the cost regulation).

The two-year legislative period of the WEEE Guarantee System’s Advisory Board will end this year. The current participants of the WEEE Guarantee System will decide about the constitution of the new advisory board. Proposals will be accepted until noon, 19 April 2013. They can be turned in by post or fax - stating the full name, company and function of the proposed person. The intended time slot for the election will be May 10th – 24nd.

Only representatives of companies which do not (directly or through a third party) offer a guarantee according to § 6 para. 3 ElektroG can be elected. Furthermore, the proposed candidates must be employed by a company, which participates in the WEEE Guarantee System or which is associated with a participant according to § 15 AktG. Persons, who are employed by other participating companies, are entitled to submit a proposal. Also, a reelection is legitimate. The conditions of § 100 AktG apply.

Due to the introduction of the single euro payments area (SEPA) stiftung ear is currently writing to all active b2c producers and is seeking new direct debit authorisation with the required IBAN/BIC.

You can find further information by clicking here.

We will let you know about the next steps.

stiftung ear has announced a modification in the definitions of the category 5 (“lamps”) in its latest press release: Lamps with permanently fixed, non-exchangeable luminaries will be categorized as “lamps” again and hence fall into the scope of ElektroG as from 1st February 2013. This applies e.g. to flashlights, work lamps, head lights, bicycle lamps, lighting chains and “LED-Stripes” with permanently fixed luminaries.

By this, stiftung ear is adapting its administration practice on differentiating lamps and luminaires according to the European eco-design regulations. You can find the updated book of regulations here.

To avoid any warnings, we highly recommend to check your range of products with regard to this modification, which will become mandatory on 1 September 2013. It may be possible that you will have to register new devices.

In case of any queries, our WEEE-FULL-SERVICE team will be glad to assist you!

Contact

Stefanie Kutzera
Head of WEEE-FULL-SERVICE
Tel.: +49 (0)30 944002-13
Fax: +49 (0)30 944002-77
s.kutzera@bitkom-service.de
VCard download

You have the possibility to adjust your guarantee amount 2012 with the WEEE Guarantee System to the actually marketed quantities. Please consider that such an adjustment has to be carried out in the ear-system as well.

The quantity, which has to be ensured, is shown in the ear-system when you click on “Garantien“ -> „Garantie einem Zeitraum zuordnen“ -> „tats. in Verkehr gebrachte Menge“.

• An adjustment will be mandatory, if the planned quantity is exceeded and the ear-system shows the status ”Entsorgungskosten nicht gedeckt“.
• An adjustment will be recommended, if the volume actually brought into the German market deceeds the planned quantity by a two-digit tonnage at least. We would like to inform you about your individual potential for savings.
  
  

You can submit your notification with the changed quantities by post, fax or email using thisform.

If you already use our Notification Service we will check, whether an adjustment is necessary or recommendable, and change the guarantee amount by prior agreement. Participants of the WEEE Guarantee Systems can book our Notification Service at any time.

The website of stiftung ear is now available in English. Besides the list of registered producers (as reported in our news from 2 January 2012), you can find a multitude, but not all information about the stiftung ear and its work in English. Please note that in case of any ambiguity the German version is determinant.

However, the ear-system remains available in German language only.

We wish all participants and partners of the WEEE-FULL-SERVICE a happy and successful new year!

Your WEEE-FULL-SERVICE team

Experts from politics and industry met on November 21. 2012, to discuss the recast of the WEEE directive, as well as RoHS.

About 100 participants discussed potential modifications of the German law (Elektrogesetz). The content of the speeches can be found on the website http://www.recast-conference.de.

We would like to thank our partners 1WEEE Services as well as Hellmann Process Management for the successful event.

For the benefit of the manufacturers we negotiated even more favorable disposal conditions for the 3rd and 5th type of appliance collected with our partner NOEX AG. The new prices are valid as from 1 January 2013. The conditions for the other types of appliance collected remain unchanged.

Your benefit: 

• Participants of the WEEE Guarantee System will not be charged a service fee
• Hence, costs will only arise in case of a pick-up request from stiftung ear
• Depending on the category of the electronic device, manufacturers might even receive a credit note in case of a pick-up request
  

Ask for a non-binding offer today!

Contact

Elizabeth Rueda Román
Notification Service and Disposal Conditions
Tel.: Tel.: +49 (0)30 - 94 40 02 14
Fax: Fax: +49 (0)30 - 94 40 02 77
e.ruedaroman@bitkom-service.de
VCard download

Dear Customers,

Please send us your planned tonnage quantities for the year 2013, in order to enable us to issue your Guarantee Certificates for the new period. You can use this form.

Due to the expiration of the expected life span, some terms do not have to be ensured by guarantees any longer. Those terms will no longer be listed on the guarantee certificates and they won't have premium fees.

For the following types of equipment, the term 2005 doesn't have to be ensuered due to the expiration of the expected life span (7 years) at 1 January 2013:

• Personal information and/or data processing
• Personal printing of information and transmission of printed information
• Personal telecommunications devices
• Mobile phones
• Cameras (photos)

For the following types of equipment, the term 2006 doesn't have to be ensured due to the expiration of the expected life span (6 years) at 1 January 2013:

• Lamps, gas discharge lamps and LED lamps

For the following types of equipment, the term 2007 doesn't have to be ensured due to the expiration of the expected life span (5 years) at 1 January 2013:

• Small household appliances
• Other consumer equipment
• Electrical and Electronic Tools for the usage in private households
• Medical equipment

As of 1 January 2013, stiftung ear reduces the expected disposal costs which are relevant for the calculation of the guarantee amount. You can find an overview of the new expected disposal costs and the calculation of the guarantee amount here:

This is how the modification will affect you:

• The guarantee amount will be reduced due to the reduction of the expected disposal costs. A lower guarantee amount means lower premiums and perhaps even a lower administration charge for the WEEE Guarantee System as of 2013. We will, of course, issue your guarantee certificates under the terms of the new calculation.
• Since stiftung ear just concluded the technical implementation, you can already update your registration under the new terms. The lowered expected disposal costs will be considered for the calculation of the guarantee amount as of January 2013. Customers of our Notification Service will of course benefit automatically from the lower guarantee amount.

Further Information:

• The expected disposal costs of Collection Group 4 (Type of equipment: Lamps, gas discharge lamps and LED lamps) will not change. Nevertheless, please consider the news about the new weight calculation.
• The new calculation of the guarantee amount will not affect the time between 2005 and 2012.
• The expected disposal costs are only relevant for the calculation of the guarantee amount. They have no influence on the actual disposal costs in case of a pick-up order by stiftung ear.

In contrast to former evaluation of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, stiftung ear considers printer cartridges to be registered if these have electrical or electronic features.

Furthermore, stiftung ear states that self take-backs can be notified in the ear-system again. You will need to submit:

•  net weight
•  the number of the weighing slip
•  the licence plate of the pick-up transporter
•  date of weighing.

BITKOM will inform about the amendment of the WEE directive at the BITKOM Recast Conference on November, 21st in Cologne. BITKOM expects Key Note Speakers such as:

- Klaus Hieronymi (Global Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy Strategist, Hewlett Packard)
- Dr. Thomas Rummler (Ministerialdirigent, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety)
- Alexander Goldberg (Director stiftung elektro-altgeräte register)
- Peter Cossé (Director Environmental Affairs & Product Conformity (EMEA), Toshiba Europe GmbH)
- Otmar Deubzer (Fraunhofer IZM Institute for Reliability and Microintegration)

After the recast of the WEEE directive has been published in the Official Journal on July 24th, 2012, the period of transposing the directive into national law has started for the 27 EU member states. The conference informs about the status quo of the implementation and the potential effects on the execution of stiftung ear. Furthermore, it will evaluate  the benefits and risks from the manufacturer’s perspective (Agenda).

BITKOM’s strategic partners for the conference are 1WEEE Services and Hellmann Process Management GmbH & Co. KG.

Participants of the WEEE Guarentee System as well as BITKOM members will obtain a discount on the attendance fee. For further information please visit www.recast-conference.de (German).

In Cooperation with:

Starting in September, we offer our clients the service to pursue unregistered manufacturers extrajudicially and free of charge. You can download the form here. We cooperate in this matter with the German Agency to Combat Unfair Competition.

stiftung ear has notified that the administrative procedure about the weight of Lamps (except light bulbs / halogen lamps), gas discharge lamps and LED lamps for the usage in private households will change as from 1 January 2013. In the future, the actual weight of the devices in this category will be considered for the calculation of the guarantee amount and the collection obligation. The assumption that a device of this type of equipment weighs 120 Grams will be no longer valid.

This means for you:

• Quantity reports for November 2012 have to consider the predefined weight of 120 Gram per piece.
• Quantity reports from December 2012 shall consider the real weight of the lamps.

Furthermore, different types of euqipment have been renamed:

• “Tools for the usage in private households“ resp. “Tools for exclusively commercial use“ were renamed on 1 August 2012. They are now called “Electrical and Electronic Tools for the usage in private households“ resp. “Electrical and Electronic Tools for the usage in non-private households“.
• The new names of “Personal EDP equipement“ and “Personal data printers and transmission of printed matter equipment“ are as from 1 September 2012 “Personal information and/or data processing“ resp. “Personal printing of information and transmission of printed information“ (supplement).

These types of equipment will be renamed in the ear-system and on guarantee certificates. The renaming has no legal effects on the content of the registration.

The recast of the WEEE directive was published in the Official Journey on July 24th, 2012. The 27 EU member states have from now on 18 months to transpose the directive into national law. The most important modifications at a glance:

• The directive will apply to every kind of electrical and electronic equipment – with only a few exceptions remaining (open scope).
• The actual collection target of 4kg WEEE per capita and year will be raised and finds a modified calculation. The collection quote currently amounts about 9 kg per capita and year.
• Manufacturers pursuant to the WEEE directive will be allowed to fulfill their WEEE obligations through an agent if they do not have a subsidiary in the EU member states where they market their devices.
•  In order to strengthen the export ban of dangerous waste to developing countries, EEE exports will be subject to strict verification duties through customs (Basel Convention).

We will keep you up to date!

This month, the WEEE Guarantee System celebrates its 1,500^th participant and looks back on a success story. The WEEE Guarantee System was developed by Bitkom Services seven years ago. “Our goal was to provide manufacturers with a guarantee solution from the very start”, says Anja Olsok, CEO of Bitkom Services.

Over the years, BITKOM has expanded their services to a WEEE-FULL-SERVICE by offering disposal conditions as well as the assumption of all registration and reporting duties towards stiftung ear. Bitkom has furthermore developed a special service for manufacturers that market very small quantities.

Today, more than a quarter of all companies registered at stiftung ear participate in the Guarantee System of Bitkom Services.

The Federal Ministry of the Environment confirmed that chip cards fall into the scope of the ElektroG (German WEEEE law). Therefore, manufacturers  have to register with stiftung ear and need a WEEE registration number.

This regulation applies to:

• Chip Cards / SIM Cards
• Bank Cards and Health Insurance Cards

Besides, we would like to point that magnetic memory cards do not have to be registered because they are passive storage devices with no operating processor. They do not dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields, but only need an external magnetic field (similar to a disc or a tape).

If this regulation applies to you, we will be glad to advise you further assistance. Simply contact us!

For the benefit of our manufacturers we negotiated even more favorable disposal conditions for the 3rd type of appliance collected with our partner NOEX AG. The new price is valid from 1 July 2012. The conditions for the other types of appliance collected remain unchanged.

Your benefit: Participants of the WEEE Guarantee System will not be charged a service fee if they take advantage of the disposal conditions. Hence, costs will only arise in case of a pick-up request from stiftung ear. Depending on the category of the particular electronic device, manufacturers might even receive a credit note in case of a pick-up request.

Ask for your non-binding offer today!

Contact

Stefanie Hahn
Assistant WEEE-FULL-SERVICE
Tel.: +49 (0)30 - 94 40 02 14
Fax: +49 (0)30 - 94 40 02 77
s.hahn@bitkom-service.de
VCard download

stiftung ear gradually broadens its range of information and provides practical guidelines for the categorization and registration several devices on its website (currently only in German language) – e.g. on these issues:

• Distinction between Large and Small Household Appliances: The movability of the devices distinguishes them. Unlike other European Countries, Germany does not define limits regarding the weight or the size of the particular device.
• Duty of Registration of Photovoltaic and Solar Panels: Simple PV-Panels with no additional electric function do currently not fall under the scope of the law and are hence not subject to registration. This will change in the curse of the WEEE recast. Please note: Solar-powered devices are already subject to registration. However, its usage determines the type of category a device belongs to (e.g. a pocket calculator belongs to the category Personal EDP Equipment).
• Furthermore, a general overview of all categories has been published recently.

Affected manufacturers can benefit from our WEEE-FULL-SERVICE – a carefree package with solutions all around WEEE.

Of course, we will keep you updated about recent WEEE developments.
Contact us directly or simply subscribe to our newsletter WEEEline!

Manufacturers and distributors of electrical and electronic equipment, that are not or not sufficiently registered pursuant to the German WEEE legislation (ElektroG), can be sent a cease-and-desist letter more easily. This is due to the reorganization of the German Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act (Kreislaufwirtschafts- und Abfallrechts), which comes into effect as of 1 June 2012.

Article 3 of the reorganization clarifies the following: Even the process of offering devices (e.g. on a website), which are not registered pursuant to ElektroG, is unlawful. The German wording can be found here.

The European institutions took a decision in a second reading. The WEEE recast was thereby adopted. The experts are now about to form the intented into a standard legal form.
How will the reorganization affect the manufacturers? The directive needs to be transposed into national law in each of the 27 member states within the next 18 months after the publication in the Official Journal.

The modifications at a glance:

• The scope: In the future, the directive will apply to every kind of electrical and electronic equipment – with only a few exceptions remaining. The product categories which used to be relevant for the decision whether a device falls into the scope of the law, will no longer hold this function. Besides, PV-modules will have to be registered in the future. The WEEE recast will furthermore keep 6 categories, which will mainly be relevant for the recycling quotes. 
• The actual collection target of 4kg WEEE per capita and year will be raised and finds a modified calculation: The member states may choose to either collect 85% of the total electrical waste or to collect first 45% and later 65% of the new devices which have been marketed in the previous three years.
• Financing: In addition to the existing rules for financing, the member states will be allowed to oblige manufacturers to bear the costs of collecting electrical and electronic waste in private households.
• Registration: Though the registration remains a national issue, the member states will be bound to standardize the substantive requirements of the registration as well as their reporting. Furthermore, all member states must allow an online registration as well as an overview of the registers of the other member states in order to minimize the administrational work. Manufacturers pursuant to the WEEE directive will be allowed to fulfill their WEEE obligations through an agent if they do not have a subsidiary in the EU member states where they market their devices.
• Basel Convention: In order to strengthen the export ban of dangerous waste to developing countries, EEE exports will be subject to strict verification duties through customs (appendix VI of the directive).

How does the WEEE recast affect Germany?
In the past, the German Ministry of the Environment pointed out that the regulations of the ElektroG proved itself to work in practice and hence should not be changed. One can only hope that the German government will remain true to this line.

Contact

Mr Lückefett, 1WEEE Services GmbH
Tel.: +49 7031 / 43938-0
Fax: +49 7031 / 43938-222
customer-support@1weee-services.com
VCard download

You have the possibility to adjust your guarantee amount 2011 with the WEEE Guarantee System to the actually marketed quantities. Please consider that such an adjustment has to be carried out in the ear-system as well.

The quantity, which has to be ensured, is shown in the ear-system when you click on “Garantien“ -> „Garantie einem Zeitraum zuordnen“ -> „tats. in Verkehr gebrachte Menge“. You can submit your notification with the changed quantities by post, fax or email using this form.

• An adjustment will be mandatory, if the planned quantity is exceeded and the ear-system shows the status ”Entsorgungskosten nicht gedeckt“.
• An adjustment will be recommended, if the volume actually brought into the German market deceeds the planned quantity by a two-digit tonnage at least. We would like to inform you about your individual potential for savings.

If you already use our Notification Service we will check, whether a revision is necessary or recommendable, and change the guarantee amount by prior agreement. Participants of the WEEE Guarantee Systems can book our Notification Service at any time.

The following inquiry about disposal reached us:

„Can you please provide me information about what actually happens to our electronic waste? A recent TV documentation has reported on how electronic waste is being shipped from France, the UK, the US and also Germany to Ghana. Since we pay the recycling of the electronic waste, I would like to know what happens with it.”

Here is the answer of our disposal partner NOEX:

The export of electronic waste is subject to very strict guidelines of the EU Waste Shipment Regulation. Electronic waste is categorically considered as dangerous waste. Even the export to European neighboring countries is handled extremely restrictive. The export to non-European countries is only possible in very few cases.

The TV documentary hence refers to the illegal export of electronic waste done by hawkers. They collect electronic waste illegally, either from the street or, more often, from companies whose internal policies are not so strict when it comes to environmental issues. The waste then is shipped i.e. to Ghana under the wrong specification of “fully functional used devices”. Together with municipalities and public authorities we fight against those illegal business practices.

Our company is not involved in the described business practices. Also, we do not participate in the system of child labor. As an example: In Ghana children are forced to burn cable sheathings in order to get access to the metals inside. This procedure releases highly toxic substances which will be inhaled by the child laborers.

Our company and our partner use up-to-date dismantling machines to recycle all electronic devices and strictly adhere the existing environmental and health directives. Our facilities fulfill all legal requirements. Furthermore, our facilities are recognized as primary treatment facilities pursuant to ElektroG as well as specialist disposal companies. Also, we are certified due to DIN/EN/ISO 9001 (quality management) and DIN/EN/ISO 14001 (environmental management) to fulfill our responsibility towards the people and the environment. You can find our certificates here.

As a matter of course we will answer all your further questions about this.

Contact

Axel Riemann, Noex AG
Tel.: +49 2181 696545
Fax: +49 2181 696555
axel.riemann@noex.ag
VCard download

The European delegations of the Council, the Parliament and the Comission have achieved an agreement on the WEEE Recast. While the positions have been far apart in prior readings, the members now have agreed on the Recast. Common goals are i.a. the increase of the collection rate and a change in the scope. The results are subject to the final vote of the European Council and the Parliament in spring. Following this vote, you will find a detailed report about it here.

The fees of stiftung ear have been lowered in favor of the manufacturers on 31 December 2011. The cost reduction has been decided by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The fee for the initial registration for example has declined by almost 17 per cent.

stiftung ear has simplified the access to the online list of registered manufacturers. By switching to HTML format, it is possible to search for company names in the register and verify when they were registered for the first time. The register is available in English language as well.

Our advise: Use the placeholder (*) before and after the sear keyword, i.a., *Manufacturer*.

The redesigned user interface therefore simplyfies the self-regulation of the market.

Dear Customers, Dear Cooperation Partner, Dear Reader,

With our newsletter, WEEEline, we want to inform you about interesting topics concerning the ElektroG/WEEE and other relevant regulations. Be up to date and learn more about recent WEEE-developments in the EU, recommendations on the application in Germany as well as further branch-specific news.

Thus, the WEEEline is a little pre-Christmas gift from us to you. Read in this first issue about the WEEE-Recast, our new disposal prices and the workshop series “G² Infoforum”, etc.
You will receive the next WEEEline in 3 months. We are open to your suggestions about further topics you are interested in – so please let us know!

Thank you very much for your trust and prosperous cooperation in 2011! The WEEE-FULL-SERVICE-Team wishes you a wonderful pre-Christmas season, Happy Holidays and a great start into the New Year!

On 20 December 2011 the European Parliament (EP), the Council of Ministers and the European Commission will decide again on the WEEE-Recast, since they did not reach an agreement on 29 November 2011.

These are the core topics:
1. Enhanced Application of WEEE Directive (Open Scope)
The introduction of an open scope covering each electronic and electrical equipment seems non-controversial. The EP demands a transitional period of 5 years. So far this period is 6 years as it reads in the draft for the Directive.
2. Collection Rate
The EP claims a collection rate of 85% based on the WEEE generated within 1 year. The Council suggested to consider this target and to place the Commission under the obligation to evaluate it beforehand. The transitional period it also controversial.
3. Transborder Shipment of WEEE
The EP demands an enhancement of the applicability (OECD guidelines).
4. Online Registration and Representation
The Council argues in favor of harmonizing the national registers and a web-based reporting. The manufacturers shall also be allowed to name a representative for those member states, in which they market their devices without having an own subsidiary. 

On 20 December 2011 the EP will present a proposal. Since the Polish President of the Council aims for an agreement within this year, there might be a Christmas surprise in the store.

We also want to inform you about the adjustment of the ElektroGKostV (in German). It is planned to reduce the fees of stiftung ear. The change will most likely take place in 2012.

Contact

Mr Lückefett, 1WEEE Services GmbH
Tel.: +49 7031 / 43938-0
Fax: +49 7031 / 43938-222
customer-support@1weee-services.com
VCard download

Bitkom Services negotiated new disposal conditions with its partners NOEX AG and STENA Technoworld GmbH. Thanks to dealing with high quantities and due to the actual steel scrap price, the disposal conditions in the first half of 2012 will be even lower than in 2011. The certified quality standards of both disposal partners are outstanding and exemplary for the industry.

Your benefit: Depending on the category of the particular electronic device, manufacturers might even receive a credit note in case of a pick-up request.

Participants of the WEEE Guarantee System will not be charged a service fee if they take advantage of the disposal conditions. Hence, costs will only arise in case of a pick-up request from stiftung ear. Ask for your non-binding offer today:

Contact

Stefanie Hahn
Assistant WEEE-FULL-SERVICE
Tel.: +49 (0)30 - 94 40 02 14
Fax: +49 (0)30 - 94 40 02 77
s.hahn@bitkom-service.de
VCard download

The last workshop of the series G² Infoforum took place on December 1st, 2011, in Leipzig. The workshops about ElektroG and BattG were organized by stiftung ear, Stiftung Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Batterien and associations such as BITKOM. The workshops were offered in six German cities.

Remarkable is: The hosts discussed the individual questions of the manufacturers, who could apply in advance in order to be invited to a local workshop. The answers to their questions had been prepared by a network of experts, consisting of stiftung ear, GRS and a specialist lawyer.

The focus was on:

• Applicability of the Law (Are my devices subject to registration?)
• Duty to register (Am I a manufacturer according to ElektroG?)
• Quantity Report (What do I need to consider?)
• Pick-up Request (When will I receive one from stiftung ear?)
• Administrative Offences (What to do with free riders?)

Due to the strong demand the workshop series will most likely be continued in 2012. Die Q&A of this year’s workshops as well as the upcoming dates can soon be found at www.g2-infoforum.de.

You have not yet reported your planned quantity for 2012? Please do so as soon as possible by sending us the form New Notification 2012 by fax or email.

You will receive the guarantee certificates in the course of December. With those certificates you will be able to update your registration in the ear-system until the deadline (31st December 2011).

Please be aware: The quantities for the years 2005 und 2006 will no longer be listed on the guarantees of certain types of equipment. If this applies to you, you will find a note on your guarantee. Further information on this can also be found in our news about the expiration of the expected life span.

In case you need our support for updating your registration in the ear-system: Our Notification Service allows us to take care of your monthly reports, the mentioned update/actualization registration and – if it applies – the correction of backdated periods.
Simply demand the contracts for the Notification Service!

The German Bundestag (Lower House of German Parliament) decided on the amendment of the Life-Cycle Management Law on 28 October 2011. Its goal is to increase the recycling rate. The obligation to separate organic, paper, metal, plastic and glass waste as of 2015 will contribute to a higher recycling quote. The enacted law might pave the way to a nationwide standardized recycling system.

Supplement: Currently it is foreseeable that the draft law will have to pass the mediation committee of the German Bundestag and Bundesrat before it becomes applicable.

stiftung ear defined 6 years as the expected life span for Lamps, gas discharge lamps and LED lamps. Starting 1 January 2012, quantities of this type of equipment, that were marketed in 2005, do not have to be ensured by a guarantee anymore. Therefore, the guarantee certificate for this type of equipment for 2012 does no longer list the term 2005. Furthermore, there will be no further payments into the capital stock for this term. 

Due to the expiration of the expected life span (5 years) at 1 January 2012 the term 2006 don't has to be ensured any longer for these types of equipment:

• Small household appliances,
• Other consumer equipment, 
• Electrical and electronic tools,
• Medical equipment.

Dear Customer,
Please send us your planned tonnage values for the year 2012, to enable us to issue your Guarantee Certificates for the new period on time.

New Notification

Manufacturers, that market less than 1 ton per type of equipment per year, can benefit from a special offer from now on. You can use our complete WEEE-FULL-SERVICE - starting at 200 € annually. You neither have to take care of an insolvency proof guarantee nor the registration and reports at the ear-system. Furthermore we will pay for the disposal costs, if you receive a pick-up request from stiftung ear. 

Further information can be found online.

The Advisory Board for the WEEE Guarantee System (GSA) was recently re-elected. Please find the composition of the board here.

It continues to be composed as a well balanced mix of medium sized and large companies representing the different types of equipment. The board consists of GSA members and exercises an advisory and controlling function on behalf of all GSA members.

We have negotiated new disposal prices with our partners NOEX AG and STENA Technoworld GmbH for the second half of 2011. Again, we have been able to agree on lower disposal prices for manufacturers of electric and electronical devices.

As the market leading guarantee system we can offer good rates and pass them to our customers without a fee. Manufacturers will only be charged if stiftung ear assigns them to pick up a container.

The quality of our disposal partners is certified. They meet the highest standards regarding pollution control and sustainability.

We gladly provide you with an individual offer. Please contact us at d.dittberner@bitkom-service.de or by phone (+49 (0)30 - 94 40 02 13).

You now have the possibility to adjust your guarantee amount 2010 to the actually marketed quantities. Please consider that such an adjustment has to be carried out in the ear-system as

• An adjustment is mandatory, if the planned quantity has been exceeded and the ear-system shows the status ”Entsorgungskosten nicht gedeckt“. In this case, please submit the required guarantee amount (“aktuell erforderlichen Garantiebetrag“) or submit the revised marketed quantity 2010 for each type of equipment. The guarantee amount is shown in the ear-system when you click on “Garantien” / “erfasste Garantien ändern“ / ”Einzelgarantiebetrag ändern“.
• An adjustment is recommended, if the volume actually brought into the German market deceeds the planned quantity by a two-digit tonnage at least. We would like to inform you about your individual potential for savings.
  

If an adjustment is mandatory or recommendable, please submit your notification by post, fax or email using this form. If you already use our Notification Service we will check, whether a revision is necessary or recommendable, and change the guarantee amount by prior agreement. Participants of the WEEE Guarantee Systems can book our Notification Service at any time.

The Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) will hold their annual conference on 18 May 2011. The conference will be held from 10am to 5pm at the Berlin office of Deutsche Telekom.

The topic “Green IT for the future city” will be discussed with regards to sustainable IT solutions for private homes, mobility services and urban infrastructures.

Katharina Reiche, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, René Obermann, Vice President of BITKOM and Karl Falkenberg, Director General for Environment in the European Commission, will be among the keynote speakers.

You can apply for the event to Ms. Isabel Richter, Head of Department Environment and Sustainability at BITKOM.  In case of any questions, please contact her as well (phone: +49 30.27576-231 or email: i.richter@bitkom.org).

The two-year legislative period of the WEEE Guarantee System’s Advisory Board will end this year. The current participants of the WEEE Guarantee system will decide about the constitution of the new advisory board. Proposals will be accepted until noon, 19 April 2011. They can be turned in informally - stating the full name, company and function of the proposed person. The intended time slot for the election will be May 9th – 22nd.

Only representatives of companies which do not (directly or through a third party) offer a guarantee according to § 6 para. 3 ElektroG can be elected. Furthermore, the proposed candidates must be employed by a company, which participates in the WEEE Guarantee System or which is associated with a participant according to § 15 AktG. Persons, who are employed by other participating companies, are entitled to submit a proposal. Also, a reelection is legitimate. The conditions of § 100 AktG apply.

The European Council determined its first-reading position on revised EU rules concerning waste electric and electronic equipment on March 14, 2011.

The press release of the European Council reveals that the agreement foresees member states to annually collect 45% of the average weight of electrical and electronic equipment placed on their national markets. This would take effect four years after the entry into force of the revised law. Until 2020, member states are to achieve a 65% collection rate. For some EU member states whose markets are less saturated the targets can be achieved with some flexibility. This applies to the Czech Republic, Malta, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The agreement is designed to improve collection and recycling of used electronic devices and to reduce illegal exports of such waste from the EU.

Numerous companies took the opportunity to take legal advice from our experts the WEEE-FULL-SERVICE Team, 1WEEE Services, and the Umweltkanzlei Dr. Rhein.  The lectures at the “Eco ICT Solutions” pavilion also received a positive reception; green IT and recycling discussions were the core topics.
 
We gladly thank our visitors and involved partners for helping to make the event a success.  We look forward to seeing you again.

So far the product category 5 was subdivided as follows:
5.1 Gas discharge lamps for the usage in private households
5.2 Gas discharge lamps for the usage in non-private households
5.3 Luminaries for the usage in non-private households

stiftung ear informs that the division will be as follows as from 1 March 2011
5.a Lamps (except light bulbs / halogen lamps), gas discharge lamps and LED
       lamps for the usage in private households.
5.b Other lighting equipment or devices for the dispersion of light which can be
       used in private households (with the exception of luminaries for the usage in
       non-private households).
5.c Lamps (except light bulbs / halogen lamps), gas discharge lamps and LED 
       lamps as well as other lighting equipment or devices for the dispersion of
       light which can be used in usage in non-private households.

Conclusion: The B2B types of equipment 5.2 and 5.3 will be combined to 5.c and the B2C type of equipment 5.1 will be split into 5.a and 5.b stiftung ear will soon notify the affected manufacturers that the name of their registration will change.

If you market products which belong to the type of equipment 5.b, you need to register for this new type of equipment. Please contact us in that case.

The European Parliament has adopted its recommended changes of the EU WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC in a plenary vote on Thursday 3, 2011.

More than 90% of the MEPs voted for the proposed changes including new targets for collecting, recycling and re-using waste and tighter measures to prevent the export of waste electronic and electrical equipment to developing countries. In terms of producer responsibilities the recommendations include standardized registration and reporting to lighten the burden and costs on companies by, i.e. reducing the number of electrical equipment categories.

The European Council will now consider the European Parliament’s position and may come to an agreement on March 14, 2011.

Based on the first schedule of the WEEE Regulations in Ireland the so called “Visible Environmental Management Costs” (vEMCs) on all products which belong to the categories 2-10 cannot be shown separately on invoices from 13th February 2011.                             
In order to avoid that producers and businesses have to change their invoicing procedures in the middle of the month the Committee of Management of WEEE Register Society Ltd. has decided that Visible Environmental Management Costs in all the above categories will cease to apply from midnight on January 31st. This means after January 31st the fee cannot be invoiced or displayed by producers or retailers in Ireland.
Producers are still required to report monthly to the WEEE Blackbox for the products put on the market the previous month.

As is stated in the French WEEE regulation, the visible fee cannot be shown separately on invoices as of 13th February 2011 in France. For large household appliances it is the 13th February 2013.
However, as the National Registration Authority Adème has confirmed after consulting the French Ministry of Ecology, producers will be allowed to mention the visible fee also after February 2011, if they want to. According to an information by Ecologic, the extension of the obligation to show the visible fee on invoices is being discussed and the outcome of this discussion is yet unclear.

Also in Belgium producers are currently obliged to display the visible fee in a separate line on the invoice. Although the Belgian WEEE legislation only allows the display of the visible fee until 13th February 2011, according to the WEEE compliance scheme Recupel the rules will not be modified for the moment and a revision of the European WEEE Directive is awaited first. This means that WEEE producers in Belgium should keep listing the contribution for waste collection and treatment in a separate line on the invoice. In publications such as leaflets, price tags, etc. the simple mention “Recupel included” is sufficient.

In Spain, only the costs of waste collection and treatment for the products put on the market before 13th August 2005 (date when the Royal Decree entered into force) need to be shown separately on the invoice. Like in other European countries, this contribution may not be specified in a separate line on the invoice from 13th February 2011 (13th February 2013 for large household appliances). As this change is to be adopted soon, the WEEE compliance scheme ERP Spain is already recommending its customers to change their invoicing procedure. But according to them, the display of the visible fee should be maintained until 13th February in order to be on the safe side.

Manufacturers, who market more than one brand per type of category, can actualize their registration for 2011 summarized by each type of category. But the process for actualizing a guarantee has also changed for manufacturers with one brand per type of equipment. An up-dated guideline (in German) can be found online. If any questions occur, please feel free to contact us.

The actualization for the registrations of customers of the Notification Service will be applied for within the next days - if not yet done. Concerning the savings due to less amount of work by actualizing summarized per type of equipment, you will receive mail within the next days. 

We are glad to inform you, that the price for the disposal of WEEE considerably decreases from 1 January 2011 on for type 3, 4 and 5 of appliance collected. As our customer you have been informed by e-mail.

You want to benefit from our Disposal Conditions, too? Please feel free to contact us.

Based on the decision of the Federal Administrative Court from April, in the future manufacturers will only have to give evidence of an insolvency-proof guarantee according to the type of equipment. The ear-system will be adjusted to fulfill these specifications on 28 December 2010. Splitting the guarantee amount according to each single brand will not be necessary anymore.

Manufacturers, who market more than one brand per type of category, can actualize their registration for 2011 as they are used to until the ear-system will have been adjusted. Those who want to save time and costs already in 2011, can also actualize their registration right after the adjustment of the ear-system. As an exception the usual deadline (31 December 2010) is not binding for this year as per the written declaration of stiftung ear. 

Manufacturers with only one brand per type of equipment are urged to actualize their registration until 31 December 2010 as usual – since the decision does not cause any consequences in that case.  

The WEEE Guarantee System (GSA) celebrates its 5th anniversary. Since the registration has become mandatory for manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment in November 2005 Bitkom Servicegesellschaft has been supporting more than 1,200 companies in the registration process. In 2008 the GSA was enlarged by the Notification Service and the Disposal Conditions to the
WEEE-FULL-SERVICE.

The cooperation with Zurich Insurance plc and the dedicated Advisory Board decisively supported the success of the GSA. Therefore, we want to give thanks and are looking forward to a positive cooperation in the future.

stiftung ear defined 5 years as the expected life span for the following types of equipment:

• Other consumer equipment,
• Small household appliances,
• Electrical and electronic tools and
• Medical equipment.

Starting 1 January 2011 quantities of the types of equipment mentioned above, that were marketed in 2005, do not have to be ensured by guarantees anymore. Therefore, the guarantee certificates for these types of equipment for 2011 do not list the term 2005. There will be no further payments into the capital stock for this term.

Based on the decision of the Federal Administrative Court from April, in the future manufacturers will only have to give evidence of an insolvency-proof guarantee according to the type of equipment. The ear-system will be adjusted to fulfill these specifications within foreseeable time. Splitting the guarantee amount according to each single brand will not be necessary anymore.

Manufacturers, who market more than one brand per type of category, can actualize their registration for 2011 as they are used to until the ear-system will have been adjusted. Those who want to save time and costs already in 2011, can also actualize their registration right after the adjustment of the ear-system. As an exception the usual deadline (31 December 2010) is not binding for this year as per the written declaration of stiftung ear. 

Manufacturers with only one brand per type of equipment are urged to actualize their registration until 31 December 2010 as usual – since the decision does not cause any consequences in that case.  

Zurich, a leading financial service provider in Germany, has successfully cooperated with Bitkom Servicegesellschaft for many years. Zurich provides external risk protection management support for WEEE-FULL-SERVICE clients.
 
Zurich has built a strong European unit in order to bundle know-how and financial power. As a result Zurich merged its field of damage and accidental insurance business into Zurich Insurance plc, this European insurance company has held a presence in Ireland for many years. Zurich received a strong AA- rating (Standard & Poor Financial Strength Rating); proof of their quality and financial power.
 
Existing contracts will not be affected in any way. There will be no changes for WEEE-FULL-SERVICE clients.

stiftung ear has upgraded its service: The employees can now be reached directly at fixed service hours. These hours can be found on the online.  In addition to that, stiftung ear has increased personnel resources at its switchboard.
Through these modifications the new chairman, Alexander Goldberg, demonstrates a sharper focus on service orientation. The whole registration process shall be accelerated and optimized. The aim is to increase the efficiency and transparency of the complex registration procedure.

As of July 21st, 2010 luminaries with fixed (not interchangeable) lamps are no longer classified as “gas discharge lamps” by stiftung elektro-altgeräte register (“stiftung ear” in the following) but as luminaries. Hence, in case these luminaries are used in private households, they do not fall under the scope of the ElektroG. The integrated lamps are in this respect part of another type of equipment that does not fall under the scope of the ElektroG (§ 2 (1) 1 and Annex I Number 5 to the ElektroG).

Examples:
Specific flashlights, lights on bicycles, chain of lights (Christmas) with fixed and not interchangeable lamps.

Conclusion:
No registration with stiftung ear will be required if a manufacturer puts exclusively luminaries with a fixed light source for the use in private households on the German market. If a manufacturer is already registered, he can request the cancellation of the registration at stiftung ear.

Further information can be found on the following website:
http://www.stiftung-ear.de/aktuell/aktuelle_mitteilungen

Please contact us to discuss further steps and to initiate your market retirement for this type of equipment if necessary.

The quality management of the WEEE Guarantee System has been officially certified by TÜV Rheinland Cert GmbH according to DIN/ISO 9001:2008 and to the criteria of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Verbandsmanagement e.V. (German Association for the Management of Associations).

The following processes were audited: issue of guarantees, implementation of the Notification Service and the procurement of disposal contracts. The certification assures customers of Bitkom Servicegesellschaft of the high quality standards and the reliable work regarding internal and external procedures.

We are glad to inform you, that the price for the disposal of WEEE considerably decreases from July 1st 2010 on for type 2, 3 and 5 of appliance collected.

You can find the actual conditions on Prices.

You want to benefit from our Disposal Conditions? Please feel free to contact us.

Dear Customer,
Let us know your actually marketed quantities of 2009. Please consider: When changing the guarantee certificates these changes have to be done in the ear-system as well.

Final Report (Excel)
Final Report (PDF)

We are glad to inform you, that the price for the disposal of WEEE considerably decreases from January 1st 2010 on for type 3 and 5 of appliance collected. For type 2 we are offering an attractive fix price from now on.

You can find the actual conditions on Prices.

You want to benefit from our Disposal Conditions? Please feel free to contact us. 

Dear Customer,
Please send us your planned tonnage values for the year 2010, to enable us to issue your Guarantee Certificates for the new period on time.

Notification 2010 (PDF)
Notification 2010 (Excel)