Lorax EPI

Germany extends its WEEE scope to cover passive equipment
by Emma Mundy at 12:39 in Environmental, Packaging, WEEE

​From May 1, 2019 WEEE scope is being extended to passive equipment such as cables, sockets, plugs, switches, aerials and busbars in Germany. The new rule is only of relevance to end-equipment designed for operation with a maximum alternating voltage (AC) of 1,000 volts or a maximum direct voltage (DC) of 1,500 volts. Passive devices belong to categories 4 to 6.

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In many other European countries these items are already in scope and this change will harmonise Germany with other EU country rules. Although it's worth noting that ElektoG itself is not being amended, it is just the interpretation of the law which is changing.

If you place these products onto the German market they must be registered with Stiftung EAR by 1 May 2019.

What is in scope?

Passive equipment are electronic products that simply conduct electricity and signals.

It is important to note that cables sold by the metre, wire end ferrules and ring cable lugs are still not covered by ElektroG. If you want more information on the passive devices in scope please contact us for a list.

What action do I need to take?

If you are a manufacturer, distributor or importer of passive equipment then you need to review your products to check if they qualify as EEE and if they do then register the products with Stiftung EAR by 1 May 2019 at the latest. Registrations can take up to twelve weeks so it is advised to start the registration process well before this deadline.

There are fines of up to 100,000 euros for non-compliance.

If you have any questions regarding compliance in Germany please contact us to speak to one of our dedicated consultants. If you're interested in reading more articles and blogs like this one, sign up ​to receive our free monthly digest.


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