PURPOSE: to amend the WEEE Directive, by introducing a reference to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny (comitology).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive 2008/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), as regards the implementing powers conferred on the Commission,

CONTENT: to recall, Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission has been amended by Council Decision 2006/512/EC ( CNS/2002/0298 ).

The amended Decision introduces a new regulatory procedure with scrutiny to be used for measures of general scope which seek to amend non-essential elements of a basic instrument, adopted under co-decision. This may include deleting some of those elements or supplementing the instrument, by the addition of new non-essential elements.

This procedure allows the legislator to oppose the adoption of "quasi-legislative" measures implementing a codecision-based instrument in cases where:

the draft may exceed the implementing powers provided for in the basic instrument; the draft is incompatible with the aim or the content of that instrument; or the draft fails to respect the principles of subsidiarity or proportionality.

In a joint statement, the three institutions agreed on a list of 26 basic instruments already in force to be adjusted without delay in accordance with the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny (see ACI/2006/2152 ). Each case has been assessed on the nature of the implementing powers conferred on the Commission and the specificity of each sector.

The purpose of this act, therefore, is to amend the WEEE Directive, by introducing the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny .

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21 March 2008.

The European Parliament adopted, subject to amendments, the report drafted by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, DE) on the Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), as regards the implementing powers conferred to the Commission.

A new series of amendments were approved by the EPP-ED, PES, ADLE, Greens/ALE, and UEN political groups which aim to amend the proposed directive.

The amendments are of a technical nature aiming to clarify the proposal and to state that the amendment to this proposal is consistent with the joint declaration from the Parliament, Commission and the Council on Decision 2006/512/EC on the introduction of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny for a series of basic instruments.

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted, by a large majority, the report drafted by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, DE) amending – at first reading of the codecision procedure - Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), as regards the implementing powers conferred to the Commission.

This new comitology procedure shall apply to certain aspects of the Directive. The references to this procedure should be clear and not entail any extension of time limits compared to the standard time limits of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

It should be noted that the committee adopted one technical amendment and it stated that it was inappropriate to extend the standard time limits of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

PURPOSE : to amend Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) by introducing a reference to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny (comitology).

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission has been amended by Council Decision 2006/512/EC ( CNS/2002/0298 ).

The amended Decision introduces a new regulatory procedure with scrutiny to be used for measures of general scope which seek to amend non-essential elements of a basic instrument, adopted under co-decision, including by deleting some of those elements or by supplementing the instrument by the addition of new non-essential elements.

This procedure allows the legislator to oppose the adoption of "quasi-legislative" measures implementing a codecision-based instrument when it considers that the draft exceeds the implementing powers provided for in the basic instrument, or that the draft is incompatible with the aim or the content of that instrument or fails to respect the principles of subsidiarity or proportionality.

In a joint statement, the three institutions agreed on a list of 26 basic instruments already in force to be adjusted without delay in accordance with the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny (see ACI/2006/2152 ). Each case has been assessed on its own merits, notably in view of the nature of the implementing powers conferred on the Commission and the specificity of each sector.

Lastly, in accordance with the abovementioned statement, the Commission is proposing to repeal any provisions of these instruments that provide for a time-limit on the delegation of implementing powers to the Commission.

PURPOSE : to amend Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) by introducing a reference to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny (comitology).

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission has been amended by Council Decision 2006/512/EC ( CNS/2002/0298 ).

The amended Decision introduces a new regulatory procedure with scrutiny to be used for measures of general scope which seek to amend non-essential elements of a basic instrument, adopted under co-decision, including by deleting some of those elements or by supplementing the instrument by the addition of new non-essential elements.

This procedure allows the legislator to oppose the adoption of "quasi-legislative" measures implementing a codecision-based instrument when it considers that the draft exceeds the implementing powers provided for in the basic instrument, or that the draft is incompatible with the aim or the content of that instrument or fails to respect the principles of subsidiarity or proportionality.

In a joint statement, the three institutions agreed on a list of 26 basic instruments already in force to be adjusted without delay in accordance with the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny (see ACI/2006/2152 ). Each case has been assessed on its own merits, notably in view of the nature of the implementing powers conferred on the Commission and the specificity of each sector.

Lastly, in accordance with the abovementioned statement, the Commission is proposing to repeal any provisions of these instruments that provide for a time-limit on the delegation of implementing powers to the Commission.