NMa APproves Collective Levy System for White and Brown Goods

The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has largely approved the system of waste disposal levies for white and brown goods and the way these costs will be passed on. NMa has approved the compulsory, visible passing on of the waste disposal levy for discarded white and brown goods, provided this relates to the cost of collecting and disposal of appliances which have been sold or are sold before 13 August 2005. This decision was taken after Stichtingen Witgoed en Bruingoed (foundations representing companies in the white goods and brown goods sectors) and NVMP (Netherlands Association for Disposal of ''Metalectro'' Products) appealed against the earlier decision by NMa, in which NMa did not grant an exemption from the compulsory, visible charging of the waste disposal fee.

NMa's decision was in accordance with the European Directive in relation to discarded electrical and electronic appliances, which recently took effect. This directive allows the compulsory charging of the waste disposal fee for waste disposal management of the "historic stock" of white and brown goods to consumers. The aim of this is too make it possible to collect and process the appliances which were put into circulation in the past as efficiently as possible. The costs which are passed on, however, may not be higher than those which are actually incurred for waste disposal.

In the case of new appliances, however, the levy must be borne as far as possible by the producers and must provide an incentive to design products in such a way that they can be processed and recycled well.

Given the economic life of most appliances, the exemption was granted until 2011.