Search

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Annexes IV and V to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council on persistent organic pollutants (COM(2021)656 final): This Proposal for a Regulation amends the annexes that deal with waste in the Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 (the POPs Regulation). These annexes set limits for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in waste and determine, together with provisions in Article 7 of the Regulation, how waste that contains POP substances has to be managed in the EU. Generally, wastes meeting or exceeding the Annex IV limit must be treated in such a way that the POP substances are destroyed or irreversibly transformed, subject to exceptions. The proposed amendment proposes to list and introduce limits for 3 POP substances and to lower the existing limits for 5 substances already listed.

This draft Commission Regulation sets requirements regarding maximum energy consumption in off mode, standby and networked standby, as well as functional and information requirements related to these modes for various electrical and electronic household and office equipment. In accordance with Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC, products not meeting these requirements will not be allowed to be placed on the EU market. The draft Regulation is based on the findings of a technical, environmental and economic study which has been carried out in consultation with stakeholders. The measures proposed were the object of an impact assessment. The draft Regulation repeals Commission Regulations (EC) No 1275/2008.

This draft Commission Delegated Directive grants a specific and temporary exemption from the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) (Directive 2011/65/EU) restrictions until 30 June 2027, regarding the use of lead in bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide superconductor cables and wires and in their electrical connections to these wires.

This draft Commission Delegated Directive renews in part exemption 27 listed in Annex IV to Directive 2011/65/EU for the use of lead in solders, termination coatings of electrical and electronic components and printed circuit boards, connections of electrical wires, shields and enclosed connectors for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices. The old formulation in part (a) and (b) of the exemption 27 remains unchanged. A new formulation is introduced in part (c) and (d), which is limited to the actual necessary applications and expires on 30 June 2027.

The notified draft Ministerial Order establishes the end-of-waste criteria for certain plastic waste that is treated mechanically. Meeting those criteria means this plastic waste is treated as a product and not as waste. The technical criteria are based on the document, published in 2014, prepared by the Joint Research Centre at the request of the European Commission. The regulation defines which plastic waste is accepted, the necessary mechanical treatments, the quality criteria to be met by the resulting material following the recovery operation and the procedure for verifying compliance with the criteria through management systems. This regulation covers mechanical treatments only and not others, such as chemical treatments, that can be carried out on the same waste flows.

Draft Royal Decree on packaging and packaging waste: The notified draft Royal Decree establishes general obligations for producers of packaged goods, whether in household, commercial or industrial packaging. Producers must comply individually or collectively through extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems. The draft (...) sets out obligations for producers in the area of e-commerce. It includes specific objectives on preventing the generation of packaging waste, as well as on reuse and recycled content. It also includes national objectives for separate packaging and recycling collections. (...) The draft also introduces new marking requirements for packaging - for example, indicating its reusability, the section or container in which it should be deposited or, where applicable, the symbol associated with the deposit-return system. It regulates the mechanisms needed to increase transparency and appropriate monitoring and control of producers' obligations in terms of both product marketing and product waste management. Lastly, the draft Royal Decree includes provisions on the deposit-return system for reusable packaging and some single-use beverage containers. With regard to the latter, and pursuant to Law No. 7/2022, the system will become obligatory if the objectives for the separate collection of single-use plastic bottles set for 2023 or 2027 are not met, and will also affect cans and cardboard packaging (cartons).

The Ministerial Decree No. 559 /2022(3 pages, in Arabic) gives the producers and importers a six-month transitional period to abide by the Egyptian standard ES 3040 which specifies requirements, sampling, test methods for single layer plastic shopping sacks in different shapes and dimensions, which are made of thermoplastic and intended to be used in carrying different products. (...)

This draft of Egyptian standard specifies requirements, sampling, test methods for compost. (...)

This draft of Egyptian standard specifies requirements, sampling, test methods for organic fertilizers.

This draft of Egyptian standard concerned with the safety of electric dishwashers for household and similar purposes that are intended for domestic use designed for washing and rinsing dishes, cutting tools and other containers, and its rated voltage is not more than 250 volts for single-sided appliances and 480 volts for other appliances. Appliances intended for normal household and similar use which can also be used by private persons in shops, light industry and farms fall within the scope of this standard. (...) This standard is concerned, whenever practical, with the common hazards resulting from appliances, which all persons face in and around the home. (...)