The UK government announced a delay in rules to comply with the waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) directive until January 2006 due to unresolved issues and pleas from electrical producers and retailers. The UK joins other European countries including Germany who will miss the European Commission's deadline for implementation of 13 August this year. Manufacturers and retailers welcomed the government's announcement which came in response to retailers and electrical manufacturers' pleas for more time to get systems in place. In a letter on 24 March informing industry of the new timetable, Chris Tollady from the Department of Trade and Industry said rules to transpose the directive into UK law would come in the summer, after the UK's general election (since set for 5 May). Producer responsibility requirements for household and non-household WEEE and the take-back obligations for retailers and distributors would then apply from January 2006.
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