Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act

The Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act is intended to implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). It transposes the European Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU) into German law.

It replaces ElektroG of 16 March 2005 and increases the responsibility of producers (including importers, exporters and distributors) of EEE for the entire life cycle. Latest amendments to the Act came into force on 1 January 2022 and are called ElektroG3.

Some key provisions of the Act are:

• The Act applies to all EEE that generates an alternating voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts or a direct voltage not exceeding 1,500 volts when in operation, including photovoltaic modules.
• Before EEE may be placed on the market, manufacturers must fulfil a number of obligations, including ensuring that the product is designed such that the reuse, dismantling and recycling is facilitated, registration, provision of a financial guarantee for the return and disposal of EEE, and labelling. 
• Manufacturers are obligated to take back waste EEE and prepare it for reuse or treat it for recycling or recovery.
• Treatment of waste EEE should meet specified targets for recovery and recycling. For instance, for large photovoltaic modules (in Category 4), the prescribed recovery rate is at least 85 percent and the prescribed preparation for reuse and recycling rate is at least 80 percent.

Want to know more about this policy ? Learn more (German)