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Since the 13 of August 2012, improved rules on the collection and treatment of e-waste are applying. Systematic collection and proper treatment is a precondition for recycling materials like gold, silver, copper and rare metals in used TVs, laptops and mobile phones. The new Directive introduces a collection target of 45% of electronic equipment sold that will apply from 2016 and, as a second step from 2019, a target of 65% of equipment sold, or 85% of electronic waste generated. In addition, from 2018 the Directive will be extended from its current restricted scope to all categories of electronic waste, subject to an impact assessment beforehand. The European Parliament approved the Directive in January 2012.

The final target of the new Directive, an ambitious 85% of all e-waste generated (i.e. waste electrical and electronic equipment, or WEEE), will ensure that in 2020 around 10 million tons, or roughly 20kg per capita, will be separately collected in the EU. Currently only one third of electrical and electronic waste in the EU is separately collected within the documented system. The existing EU collection target is 4 kg of WEEE per capita, representing about 2 million tons per year, out of around 10 million tonnes of WEEE generated annually in the EU.

On the other hand, another expected improvement is the reduction of administrative burdens through harmonisation of national registration and reporting requirements. Requirements by Member States' registers for producers of e-waste will now be aligned more closely. The Directive gives Member States the tools to fight the illegal export of waste more effectively. Illegal shipments of WEEE are a serious problem, especially when they are disguised as legal shipments of used equipment to circumvent EU waste treatment rules. The new Directive will oblige exporters to test whether equipment works or not, and provide documents on the nature of shipments that could be thought illegal.