Focus on… Turkey

New obligations for producers as country repeals WEEE law

8 February 2023

On 1st February 2023, two legal acts adopted at the end of December 2022 replaced the extended producer responsibility (EPR) law adopted back in 2012:

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Management Regulation, 32055 to regulate producer obligations for e-waste, and
Regulation on Restriction of Use of Some Dangerous Substances in Electrical And Electronic Equipment, 32055 to put in place hazardous substance limitations in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) similar to the EU ROHS Directive.

The new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Management Regulation shows many similarities to the second WEEE Directive:

From 2024, Turkey will implement open scope like the second WEEE Directive. Until then, the ten old WEEE categories will still be used
A 65% collection target will have to be reached by 2030, and
Foreign companies selling EEE have EPR obligations to fulfil – and need to do that via an authorised representative in Turkey

To ensure compliance, producers must pay the reuse participation fee regulated by the tax authority and organise twice yearly collection campaigns, which are advertised to the public.

The only non-state governed compliance option available to producers is the voluntary agreement between them or their representatives and the Turkish Environment Agency.

Turkey is one of the countries covered by Landbell Group’s regulatory tracking service. Find out more about the service here.