Weee authorised representative germany

What is WEEE

WEEE refers to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2002/96/EC), meaning waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Since August 13, 2005, producers of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU market have been legally responsible for covering the costs of recycling waste products.

Meanwhile, EU Member States are obliged to establish their own electrical and electronic product recycling plans and supporting recycling facilities, enabling end-users to dispose of waste equipment conveniently and free of charge.

Its main objective is to prevent waste generation; secondly, to facilitate waste recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing, thereby REDucing resource waste.

How to Register WEEE

01 WEEE Categories

Relevant information on WEEE recycling equipment categories is as follows. Additional recycling fees apply if the weight limit is exceeded.

It is recommended to declare based on the actual sales weight of your store.

02 Category Classification Sequence

Is it heat transfer equipment?

→ Yes → Category 1: Heat Transfer Equipment

→ No → Is it screen equipment or does the product contain a screen with surface area > 100 cm²?

→ Yes → Category 2: Screen Equipment

→ No → Is it a bulb?

→ Yes → Category 3: Lighting Equipment (decorative luminaires are excluded)

→ No → Does the product’s maximum single side exceed 50 cm?

→ Yes → Category 4: Large Equipment

→ No → Is it small ICT equipment?

→ Yes → Category 6: Small ICT Equipment

→ No → Category 5: Small Equipment

03 Required Documents & Process

Required Documents

1. Application form;

2. Business license in Chinese and English (copy acceptable);

3. Product photos with LOGO;

4. Product instructions, etc.

Note:

Official regulations require that the email address and phone number of a company applying for WEEE cannot be reused.

Therefore, customers must provide contact details not previously registered in WEEE when submitting documents.

Timing

1–3 months (fastest 1 month), depending on official reviewer speed.

Expedited processing is not accepted by authorities.

Application Process

1. Confirm the number of product categories and brands sold in Germany under the company to confirm the price, sign the contract and make payment.

2. Submit company and product information (one representative product per category per brand)

→ Submit for official registration

→ Issue authorization letter

→ Customer signs, stamps and returns

→ Issue acceptance letter

→ Registration completed, certificate issued.

3. Customer prints the registered brand and WEEE recycling logo on the product and packaging, binds WEEE in Amazon backend.

→ Submit actual sales weight of the previous month at the beginning of each month; make one annual total declaration.

Note:

Sales weight = Amazon Germany backend order volume × product weight (excluding packaging) = total weight.

4. After German weee registration, the corresponding WEEE mark must be added to three places: product, outer packaging, and instructions.

Differences Between WEEE and Battery Directive

1. Markings Different

Both use a crossed-out wheeled bin symbol.

￮ WEEE: solid thick black line below the bin.

￮ Battery Directive: no black line below the bin; internal lines are hollow.

2. Regulations Different

￮ WEEE regulation: ElectroG

￮ Battery Directive regulation: BattG

3. Recycled Items Different

￮ WEEE: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycling Directive – recovers electrical appliances only, not batteries.

￮ Battery Directive: Battery Recycling Directive – recovers batteries only, not electrical appliances.

4. Registration Scope Different

￮ WEEE: applies to all electrical and electronic equipment in the EU; all appliance-related products require registration.

￮ Battery Directive: applies only to battery-powered electronic products.

Common Points Between WEEE and Battery Directive

1. Both require compliance registration in the EU.

2. Both are most strictly inspected in Germany.

3. Both use a crossed-out wheeled bin symbol.

4. Both require stock relocation and relabeling if products are removed from shelves.

5. If a product is battery-powered, both WEEE and Battery Directive registrations are required.

6. Both require EU distributors or importers to bear recycling and disposal responsibilities.

7. Violations of either regulation will result in penalties from German authorities for distributors or importers.

In summary, both WEEE and the Battery Directive are key environmental regulatory laws.

Sellers should distinguish between them during registration to avoid confusion and unnecessary losses.

Consequences of Failure to Register and Recycle

If the EAR / German Environmental Protection Agency / competitors find products without the bin logo or unregistered recycling, the following penalties apply:

• Amazon listing blocked, products unavailable for sale.

• German authorities (especially market surveillance) may impose fines up to €100,000 based on import volume and sales history.

• Direct forfeiture of all profits from such sales.

• Immediate suspension of all sales in Germany for the account or company.

• In severe cases, legal prosecution by lawyers, with corresponding criminal and civil liabilities pursued.

WEEE – Amazon Random Audits

Amazon conducts random compliance reviews of products sold on the platform.

If non-compliance is found, sellers will be required to provide weee certificates or have products removed.

According to Amazon, compliance inspections will be strengthened.

For electrical and electronic products, WEEE registration and declaration are essential.

Quick Q&A

Why must I renew every year?

A: Fees are charged by the calendar year; customers must pay annually.

If registered in August, you must confirm renewal for the next year by November.

Early registration is recommended to protect your products sooner.

Is German WEEE valid EU-wide? What is the German WEEE registration body?

A: German WEEE registration is only valid in Germany, not EU-wide. Separate registration is required per country.

The German WEEE registration body is EAR (die Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register) – the Electronic Waste Equipment Register Foundation.

Its main role is to support the Federal Environment Agency, providing data on producer registrations, products, and equipment recycling.

Under Germany’s ElektroG, the competent authority is the Federal Environment Agency.

Note: Countries requiring WEEE registration include:

Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Poland, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, etc.

Who is the registrant for German WEEE?

A: German WEEE is registered by company.

One company, one registration code, can apply for multiple categories and brands.

Note: Amazon requires the company name on the WEEE certificate to match the Amazon backend name.

Where can I check the registration number after approval?

A: The official website updates within 5–7 working days after certificate issuance.

Query link:

https://www.ear-system.de/ear-verzeichnis/hersteller.jsf#no-back

Do I need to register new products with EAR later?

A: No re-registration is needed if new products fall under already registered categories and brands.

If they belong to new categories or brands, you must inform us promptly for additional registration.

How to declare if there are no monthly sales after registration?

A: Zero declaration is required if no shipments are made; normal declaration if shipments occur.

Annual weight declaration is included in the cooperation fee; no extra charge within the limit.

What if company information changes after registration?

A: WEEE is registered under the company.

No re-registration is required for address changes