European Directive
Directive 2006/66/CE : The aim of this Directive on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators is to make producers, in the broad sense of the term, aware of their responsibilities.
Act of 19/12/2008 : Directive 2006/66/EC was transposed into Luxembourg law by the law of 19/12/2008 Who is concerned ?
Who is affected?
1. Producers and importers of batteries and accumulators.
Companies located outside the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg which sell directly to users in Luxembourg are considered as importers.
2. Distributors and end dealers.
3. The government and local authorities.
Obligations
What are their obligations?
1. For producers and importers
Obligation to register
All producers or importers of batteries and accumulators must register with the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructures. They must declare all the batteries and accumulators that they have placed on the Luxembourg market and prove that they satisfy the obligations incumbent upon them or notify that they have joined an authorised organisation such as Ecobatterien ASBL which will help them to fulfil their obligations.
Obligation to take back
Producers, individually or collectively, or third parties acting on their behalf, finance any net costs arising from operations of collection, treatment and recycling of all waste portable and automotive batteries and accumulators collected through existing public infrastructures for the selective collection of problematic waste or through alternative or complementary collection systems to the existing public infrastructures, providing these systems offer the same countrywide coverage.
The producers of automotive batteries and accumulators shall ensure the availability of systems for the collection of automotive batteries and accumulators from end-users or from accessible collection points in their vicinity.
The producers of industrial batteries and accumulators, individually or collectively, or third parties acting on their behalf, may not refuse to take back waste industrial batteries and accumulators from end-users, regardless of chemical composition and origin.
Obligation to inform
Producers or importers must inform the environment administration by 30th April of each year of the quantities of batteries and accumulators that they have placed on the Luxembourg market and of the quantities of waste batteries and accumulators that they have collected and treated, as well as the rates of recovery effectively achieved.
Obligation to label
Manufacturers of batteries and accumulators must label their products with the symbol of the crossed-out wheeled bin to indicate that they are to be collected separately.
2. For end dealers
Obligation to collect
Distributors which supply portable batteries and accumulators must take back waste portable batteries or accumulators at no charge.
3. For the government
Obligation to collect
The government and local authorities must ensure the availability of structures that accept waste of batteries and accumulators, at no charge.
By 26/09/2012, a collection rate of 25% must be achieved for the entire country.
By 26/09/2016, a collection rate of 45% must be achieved for the entire country.