Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 993: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the results and action taken as a result of the meeting in 2007 with his Department and stakeholders in the waste electrical and electronic equipment scheme; if a protocol has been put in place to address the reuse of products in line with EU regulations; if so, the effects of this protocol; the effects it is having in ensuring the re-use of such products; the mechanism used to supervise such actions to ensure that they are regulatory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12013/08]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 994: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the guidelines and quality control procedures that are in place under the waste electrical and electronic equipment scheme to ensure that reusable goods meet such guidelines; the number of personnel that are employed by his Department as inspectors or liaison officials as part of such investigations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12014/08]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 995: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the breakdown of the costs applicable by a retailer to the customer under the waste electrical and electronic equipment scheme in relation to recyclable goods; the percentage retained by the retailer and the wholesaler; and the percentage deducted by WEEE to operate the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12015/08]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 996: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the value to be placed on a product before an applicant can use or offer the goods as part of their reusable scheme if an enterprise wishing to refurbish or reuse products under the waste electrical and electronic equipment scheme obtains such products from a retailer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12016/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 993 to 996, inclusive, together.

The WEEE Monitoring Group, which is made up of representatives from the relevant industry and public sector stakeholders, oversees the implementation and operation of the WEEE Directive in Ireland. Following the successful implementation of the scheme in Ireland, which has been yielding very high take-back rates, the Group is now prioritising the development of guidance on the reuse of collected WEEE products having regard to the waste hierarchy, sustainable environmental best practice and/or health and safety requirements. The Department has also had meetings with a wider group of stakeholders engaged in reuse of WEEE.

The WEEE Directive, while setting out technical requirements for storage and treatment of WEEE, does not lay down technical standards for reuse of appliances. The proposed protocol on reuse will include requirements to meet quality control standards and to comply with relevant legislation concerning the placing of electrical and electronic equipment on the market such as the Safe Products Directive, the Low Voltage Directive, the Directive on Electromagnetic Compatibility, and the Directive on the Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances Contained in Electrical and Electronic Equipment. It is envisaged that this process will be completed in 2008 and will form the basis of statutory guidance in the matter as provided for in Article 41 of the Waste Management (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations 2005.

My Department has no enforcement role in regard to the WEEE Regulations; this responsibility rests with the Environmental Protection Agency and local authorities.

The WEEE Directive also allows producers to display Environmental Management Costs (EMCs) which are included in the price of various products to fund the recovery and recycling of historic WEEE which was put on the market before 13 August 2005. These EMCs are approved by the industry-based WEEE Register Society Limited which has an independent Committee of Management.

This body is monitoring implementation of the scheme and has adjusted the EMCs periodically to ensure that the not-for-profit principle is observed and that the EMCs only cover the costs incurred in the environmentally sound management of WEEE. The EMCs are not imposed by or remitted to the Government; they are remitted by producers to the two approved collective compliance schemes operating in Ireland, WEEE Ireland and ERP. A percentage is also remitted to retailers to cover their costs. This, however, is a matter between producers and retailers and my Department has no function in that regard. The retail price must be inclusive of the EMC which is an input cost in the same way as material, labour and transport. It is an offence for a retailer to add an EMC to the price quoted.

The WEEE Register is currently carrying out a comprehensive review of EMCs and it is expected that this will be completed in the first half of 2008. A full list of EMCs can be obtained from the WEEE register at www.weeeregister.ie

The value of a product, whether new or refurbished, is a matter for the market.

Responsibility for the environmentally sound management of household WEEE from designated collection points onwards rests with the producer compliance schemes. The overall scheme has been operating very successfully and a collection rate of 7.4 kg/inhabitant was achieved in 2006, well in excess of the 4 kg/inhabitant that must be achieved by end 2008 in accordance with the Directive.