91997E2094

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2094/97 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (19 June 1997)

Subject: Electronic scrap

1. (a) Is the Commission aware of the amount of annually arising scrap electronic equipment?

(b) Are there proper figures for it? If not, why not?

(c) Are there figures covering exports to eastern Europe?

2. How much scrap electronic equipment is temporarily stored in private households?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (9 September 1997)

1. For 1998 the amount of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is estimated to be 8 million tons. Hard figures are not available due to the lack of separate collection of WEEE in the Member States. Furthermore, national differences in defining WEEE impede the indication of proper figures. The Commission does not have figures for these exports.

2. The Commission does not have figures for temporary storage in private households. One problem with regard to these figures concerns the definition of WEEE. It appears to be difficult to state precisely from which point an electrical or electronic product which stays in the household can be considered as discarded in the sense of the definition of waste as outlined in Article 1a) of Directive 75/442/EEC on waste ((OJ L 194, 25.7.1975. )).