Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

The Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development (Fifth Environmental Action Programme) states that the achievement of sustainable development calls for significant changes in current patterns of development, production, consumption and behaviour and advocates, inter alia, the reduction of wasteful consumption of natural resources and the prevention of pollution. It mentions waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) as one of the target areas to be regulated, in view of the application of the principles of prevention, recovery and safe disposal of waste. The purpose of this Directive is, as a first priority, the prevention of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and, in addition, the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce the disposal of waste. It also aims at improving the environmental performance of all operators involved in the life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment.