Compliance Guide

WEEE Compliance Guide — EU Electronic Waste Regulation

Country-by-country registration, take-back obligations, compliance schemes, and marketplace requirements for electronic product sellers.

8 countries covered Registration requirements per country Last updated: March 2026

What Is the WEEE Directive?

The WEEE Directive (2012/19/EU) is the EU framework governing the collection, treatment, recovery, and environmentally sound disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment. It implements the principle that producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) bear the financial responsibility for managing their products at end of life.

For marketplace sellers, WEEE compliance is particularly challenging because — unlike regulations such as GPSR that apply EU-wide with a single set of requirements — WEEE is implemented through national legislation in each EU member state. This means separate registration, separate reporting, and separate compliance schemes in every country where you sell electronic products.

If you sell any product with an electronic component — from smartphones and laptops to LED-equipped furniture and electric toothbrushes — WEEE almost certainly applies. The directive covers six broad categories of equipment, and the scope is intentionally wide to capture the growing diversity of electronic products on the market.

Key Aspects of WEEE for Sellers

What WEEE Covers

Any product that uses electric current or electromagnetic fields, including electronics, appliances, power tools, LED products, and toys with electronic components.

Per-Country Registration

Unlike GPSR, WEEE has no single EU-wide registration. You must register separately in every EU country where you sell electronic products.

Authorized Representative

Non-local sellers typically need a local Authorized Representative in each country to handle WEEE registration and reporting obligations.

Take-Back Obligations

Producers must finance the collection and proper treatment of their products at end of life. This is typically handled through collective compliance schemes.

Marketplace Enforcement

Amazon, Kaufland, bol.com, Allegro, and other EU marketplaces require WEEE registration numbers and may block listings of non-compliant electronic products.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Fines vary by country — up to EUR 100,000 in Germany, EUR 750,000 in France. Marketplaces can suspend accounts for missing WEEE registrations.

WEEE Product Categories

Temperature exchange equipment

Examples: Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps

Contains refrigerant gases — special handling required at end of life.

Screens, monitors, and equipment with screens >100 cm2

Examples: TVs, monitors, laptops, tablets, digital photo frames

Contains mercury backlights and lead in older models.

Lamps

Examples: Fluorescent tubes, LED lamps, HID lamps

Separate category due to mercury content in fluorescent types.

Large equipment (any dimension >50 cm)

Examples: Washing machines, dishwashers, printers, power tools

Includes IT equipment, medical devices, and monitoring instruments over 50 cm.

Small equipment (all dimensions <50 cm)

Examples: Smartphones, small kitchen appliances, shavers, toys with electronic components

The broadest and most common category for marketplace sellers.

Small IT and telecommunication equipment

Examples: Mobile phones, routers, GPS devices, calculators

Separate from general small equipment for collection and recycling targets.

WEEE Registration Requirements by Country

CountryNational RegisterReg. Number FormatNotes
GermanyEAR Foundation (stiftung-ear.de)WEEE-Reg.-Nr. DE[8 digits]Registration via EAR Foundation mandatory. Must also appoint an Authorized Representative if non-German. Required by Amazon.de, Kaufland, eBay.de, Otto.
FranceADEME / Ecosystem / EcologicFR[0-9]{6}_05XXXX (UIN)Part of the AGEC framework. Register with Ecosystem or Ecologic as eco-organism. UIN must be displayed on marketplace listings.
NetherlandsNationaal (W)EEE Register (NWR)NL-REG-[number]Registration with Stichting OPEN required. Applies to sellers on bol.com and Amazon.nl. Annual reporting of quantities placed on market.
PolandBDO (bdo.mos.gov.pl)BDO [number]Register in the BDO (Baza Danych o Odpadach) database. Required for selling EEE on Allegro and Amazon.pl. Must have a Polish Authorized Representative if non-Polish.
ItalyRegistro AEE (registroaee.it)IT[number]Registration with the national AEE register. Must join a collective compliance scheme. Required for Amazon.it sales.
SpainRegistro Integrado Industrial (RII)ES-RAE-[number]Register with the regional authority where the company is established or the Authorized Representative is based.
Czech RepublicMZP (Ministry of Environment)CZ[number]Register with an authorized collective scheme like Elektrowin or Asekol. Required for Mall.cz sellers.
RomaniaANPM (anpm.ro)RO[number]Register with the National Environmental Protection Agency. Required for eMAG sellers placing electronics on the Romanian market.

Registration requirements and processes vary by country. This covers the most common markets for EU marketplace sellers. Last verified March 2026.

WEEE Compliance Checklist for Marketplace Sellers

1

Determine if your products qualify as Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE)

Any product that depends on electric currents or electromagnetic fields to work falls under WEEE. This includes obvious categories like electronics and appliances, but also products with electronic components like electric toys, LED-equipped furniture, and motorized tools. Battery-powered products are included.

2

Identify the EU countries where you sell EEE

WEEE registration is per country, not EU-wide. You must register in every EU member state where you place EEE on the market. If you sell on Amazon across multiple EU countries, you need separate WEEE registrations for Germany, France, Italy, Spain, etc. Each country has its own national register and compliance scheme.

3

Appoint Authorized Representatives where required

If you are not established in a given EU country, most member states require you to appoint a local Authorized Representative (AR) for WEEE purposes. The AR handles registration, reporting, and communication with national authorities on your behalf. This is a separate appointment from the GPSR Responsible Person.

4

Register with national WEEE registers in each country

Complete the registration process in each relevant country. This typically involves providing company details, product categories, estimated annual volumes (in units and/or weight), and Authorized Representative information. Registration fees and processing times vary by country.

5

Join a collective compliance scheme (Producer Responsibility Organization)

In most EU countries, producers must join a collective scheme that organizes the collection, treatment, and recycling of WEEE on their behalf. These schemes charge fees based on the type and quantity of equipment you place on the market. Costs range from a few cents per unit for small items to several euros for large appliances.

6

Submit your WEEE registration numbers to marketplaces

Add your country-specific WEEE registration numbers to your marketplace seller accounts. Amazon requires WEEE-Reg.-Nr. for Germany, UIN for France, and equivalent numbers for other countries. Marketplaces verify these numbers and may suppress listings for non-compliant sellers.

7

Mark products with the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol

All EEE sold in the EU must bear the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol (per EN 50419) on the product itself or its packaging. This indicates the product should not be disposed of with regular household waste. Include this marking in your product images and packaging.

8

File annual reporting on quantities placed on market

Each year, report the quantities of EEE you placed on the market in each country to the respective national register and your compliance scheme. Reports typically include product category, weight, and number of units. Deadlines vary by country but are generally in Q1 or Q2 for the previous calendar year.

How Marqetir Simplifies WEEE Compliance

Managing WEEE registrations across multiple countries and marketplaces is one of the most complex compliance tasks for electronics sellers. Marqetir centralizes it.

Multi-Country Reg. Numbers

Store WEEE registration numbers for every EU country centrally and push them to the correct marketplace accounts automatically.

Compliance Dashboard

See at a glance which products have complete WEEE data for which countries, and identify gaps before marketplaces flag them.

Marketplace-Specific Formatting

Each marketplace expects WEEE data in different fields and formats. Marqetir handles the mapping per platform.

Product Classification

Marqetir helps identify which products in your catalog qualify as EEE and which WEEE categories they fall under.

Cross-Regulation Management

Handle WEEE alongside GPSR, VerpackG, AGEC, and other compliance requirements from a single interface.

New Market Alerts

When you expand to a new EU marketplace, Marqetir alerts you to any missing WEEE registrations for that country.

List Electronics Across EU Marketplaces

Manage WEEE compliance, product listings, and inventory across 12+ EU marketplaces from a single dashboard. Free 7-day trial.

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WEEE Frequently Asked Questions

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