Stewardship 2014

31. Mai – 5. Juni 2014 in San Antonio, Texas (USA)

Treffen Sie uns auf der internationalen Konferenz für Produktverantwortung!

Datum: 31.05. – 5.06.2014
Vor Ort: Ofira Varga
Ort: San Antonio, Texas, USA

4. Juni 2014: 1cc Beraterin Ofira Varga wird einen Vortrag zum Thema Rücknahme von Elektro-Altgeräten halten: „Worldwide Take-back Legislation: A Challenge for Globally Acting Manufacturers“

Weitere Informationen:

http://aihce2014.org/stewardship-2014/

http://aihce2014.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Stewardship-2014-Program-at-a-Glance.pdf

Sentence of OLG Koeln: Energy Efficiency Labelling of Monitors with HDMI is Obligatory

The German Oberlandesgericht/OLG Koeln (Higher Regional Court) has passed the following sentence regarding energy efficiency labelling of computer monitors: These devices have to be considered as television monitors if they are equipped with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), irrespective of having non-standardised video signal paths like DVI and SDI at the same time. Therefore such monitors have to be marked with an energy efficiency label indicating the energy efficiency class.

The labeling requirements are based on Regulation (EU) No 1062/2010 of September 28, 2010. In the respective case a German retailer had placed an advertisement for a video monitor with HDMI (among other technical features) without indicating the energy efficiency class of the device. The OLG Koeln classified the monitor as television monitor because of the HDMI video signal path. With this court ruling retailers are obliged to check if products they offer to end-users are labelled accordingly.

They also have to indicate the energy efficiency class of the device in any advertisement, if energy-related or price information is disclosed. Therefore, the court issued a cease and desist order against the German retailer with a penalty of 250.000 Euro for each case of non-compliance.

Retailers and manufacturers of a computer monitor which fulfil the criteria of a television monitor due to HDMI are recommended to label the device: German market surveillance authorities are expected to base their surveillance practice on this sentence.

IFAT 2014

5.05. – 9.05.2014  

Treffen Sie uns auf der Weltleitmesse für Wasser-, Abwasser-, Abfall- & Rohstoffwirtschaft!

Datum: 5.05.- 9.05.2014
Vor Ort: Guy Kobani
Ort: Messe München

Weitere Informationen:
www.ifat.de

Hannover Messe 2014

Hannover Messe 2014

Datum: 7.04.- 11.04.2014
Vor Ort: Guy Kobani
Ort: Hannover

Weitere Informationen:
www.hannovermesse.de

„REACH und RoHS Update“ bei IHK Stuttgart

“REACH und RoHS Update” bei der IHK Stuttgart

Datum: 7. April 2014

Ort: IHK Stuttgart

1cc Beraterin Eva Hink gibt ein Update zu den gesetzlichen Anforderungen der EU-Chemikalienverordnung REACH und der EU-Richtlinie RoHS (Recast). Die Veranstaltung richtet sich sowohl an das produzierende Gewerbe als auch den Handel.

Uhrzeit: 9.00 Uhr bis 12.45 Uhr.

Weitere Informationen:
http://ausgabe.vstdbv3.ihk.de/vstdbv3/download?secid=%7B3DES%7D9C9F0A5DABDEDFDD

Copyright Levies: Public Consultation on EU Copyright Rules

Again, after 2006 and 2008, the European Commission has launched a public consultation to revise EU copyright rules. The objective of this consultation is to gather input from all stakeholders on these rules. A review seems to be urgently needed, because both administration and industry have a common interest to benefit from a consolidated view about specific legal provisions and from some tightly focused amendments.

Besides the legitimate interest of companies for compliance, also several widely noticed reports show a certain need for action: among them are those of Pierre Lescure, a French media manager mandated by the Ministry of Culture to evaluate the possible future of levy systems, the recommendations of former EU commissioner António Vitorino or of Françoise Castex, member of the European parliament with the Socialist party, as well as contributions of French Minister Aurélie Filippetti..

1cc will thoroughly analyze the summary results of the public consultation, considering all stakeholder replies after publication. After a recent deadline extension for the sending of inputs until 5 March this will previously be in the course of March 2014.

WEEE Recast Directive 2012/19/EU: Only few countries on time with transposition

EU Member States have to adopt national laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the new Directive 2012/19/EU of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE Recast Directive). The deadline for transposition was 14 February 2014. However, most Member States did not meet this deadline.

To date, only Bulgaria, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the UK have implemented the new WEEE Directive into national law. Several other countries have published draft legislation, as for example Austria, Croatia, France, Germany and Italy.

REACH Candidate List: Extended to 151 substances

On December 16, 2013, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has included seven new substances in the REACH candidate list which now contains 151 substances. For the seven new and the previously identified candidate substances, information requirements according to REACH article 7 and 33 are obligatory:

If a candidate substance is present in an article in a concentration above 0,1 mass percent, suppliers of this article – manufacturer, importer or distributor- have to inform their direct customers. In addition, manufacturers and importers of articles have to notify ECHA about the substance according to article 7, if

• a candidate substance is present in the article above 0,1 mass percent, and
• the total amount of this substance in the article totals more than 1 ton/year, and
• the substance has not been registered at ECHA for that use.

If all three criteria are met, the manufacturer or importer has to submit a notification to ECHA within the following six months after the most recent update of the candidate list. For the above mentioned seven new candidate substances, the deadline is June 16, 2014.

Link to candidate list: http://echa.europa.eu/de/candidate-list-table

Further substances are expected to be put on the list until summer. 22 substances out of this list are or will be subject to authorization as they have been added to REACH Annex XIV already.

Reclassification of LED lamps

The German Stiftung ear has reclassified LED lamps. This type of lamps is no longer allocated to category 5a (glow-discharge lamps that can be used in private households), but to 5b (other lighting fixtures or devices for distributing or controlling light that can be used in private households).

Waste from lighting equipment is now collected together with small household equipment, tools etc. As a consequence, LED producers are responsible to participate in the recycling of a mix of e-waste which is much cheaper for them and where they have presumably lower market shares in terms of total weight. Moreover, parameters to determine the financial guarantee are also more favorable to the producers.

New: Copyright Levies for PC in Germany

After years of negotiations and disputes, there are now Copyright Levies for PC in Germany. The rates are between 3,20 Euro and up to 13,20 Euro per unit, depending on the devices’ features, the use and the contractual situation of the vendor. Right now it may be most important to know, that these levies apply with retroactive effect as of 1 January 2011. In order to realize a 20% discount on the rates for the precedent years 2011-2013, each vendor is only allowed to sign the general agreement for the industry until 31 March 2014. For the future sales, so future reporting and billing periods, it is of course possible to contract at any time.

Furthermore, the binding agreement regarding copyright levies for PCs in Germany takes into account the ECJ Padawan/SGAE–judgement of 21 October 2010. This means that the professional use of PC is  considered by significantly reduced rates and by ensuring the refund for vendors in the supply chain and for professional end users. The verification of professional use in the supply chain, however, will previously be a key task in the future.

The new tariffs shall apply until at least 2016 with the following rates:

Thus, the long dispute between industry and the German collecting society ZPÜ (Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte) has made one step forward. At the same time it has to be underlined that this applies only to the period as of 2011, according to the revised (new) German Copyright Law. Claims, verdicts and proposals prior to 2007 as well as in the so-called transition period from 2008 until 2010 are not directly affected by this new agreement. For the period before 2011, there are still negotiations whether or not PCs are taxable at all, there are different industry positions (with separate agreements), diverse tariff proposals, discounts and arbitral verdicts.

1cc is always ready to support you with all necessary information and services.