Event Report: building a stronger framework for WEEE and EPR in Europe

The future of Europe’s e-waste and producer responsibility legislation was at the centre of discussions in Amsterdam, at the conference “Identifying the challenges for an effective WEEE and EPR regulatory framework”, organised by InventU Sustainable Future. The event brought together industry representatives, policymakers, and experts from across Europe to debate how to close existing gaps and strengthen Europe’s circular economy ambitions. The discussions came at a decisive moment, with the Circular Economy Act on the horizon and inherent revision of the WEEE Directive, placing the spotlight on how to close gaps that still prevent Europe from unlocking the full value of e-waste.

Over the past twenty years, the WEEE Directive has provided the backbone of Europe’s approach to electrical and electronic waste, but today the system shows clear signs of strain. Fragmented implementation across Member States has created a patchwork of 27 different national systems, resulting in unnecessary costs and administrative burdens. At the same time, significant volumes of e-waste continue to escape proper treatment, either exported, handled informally or unreported, while collection targets are often set without reflecting market realities. Free-riding, especially via online platforms, further contributes to undermining those who comply with the rules.

APPLiA’s Senior Director for Environment, Korrina Hegarty, opened the conference reminding the importance for future rules to be grounded in and evolve with today’s market realities. Harmonisation across the Single Market is a prerequisite if businesses are to operate competitively in Europe, she explained. Beyond this, responsibility must be fairly distributed along the entire value chain, not only producers. Retailers, municipalities, scrap dealers and online marketplaces all play a role in how e-waste is collected and treated, and should be held accountable accordingly. This is at the heart of what we, at APPLiA, call the ‘All Actors’ approach. 

Hegarty also underlined the importance of grounding legislation in reliable data. Too often, reporting gaps obscure the true flows of e-waste, leading to targets that are unrealistic. Only with transparent and consistent reporting from all actors can Europe measure progress accurately. Equally vital is addressing free-riding, which continues to allow non-compliant players to benefit from the efforts made by responsible companies. Without strong enforcement, the level playing field that the Single Market is meant to guarantee remains out of reach.

With the revision of the WEEE Directive and the upcoming Circular Economy Act, these priorities will be central to shaping a framework that reduces fragmentation, unlocks the value of e-waste and ensures Europe leads in resource recovery.