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You must apply for approval if you are an exporter and you want to:

• issue evidence notes on whole appliances for reuse overseas received from or on behalf of a producer compliance scheme (PCS)
• export materials extracted from WEEE for treatment, recovery or recycling outside the UK received from an approved authorised treatment facility (AATF) – the AATF issues the evidence on this WEEE

This is known as ‘obligated’ WEEE.

If the overseas treatment or recovery site receiving your WEEE is located outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) it must operate to the equivalent standard of an ATF in the UK.

You may need an appropriate exemption or an environmental permit or licence.

You must comply with the Waste Shipments Regulation.

Approvals cover the periodÌýfromÌý1 JanuaryÌýto 31 December.Ìý

You can apply for approval at any time in the year,Ìýbut you need to apply at least 12 weeksÌýbefore you want the approval to start. This is to give the regulator enough time to make a decision.Ìý

If you want your approval to start onÌý1ÌýJanuary,Ìýyou need to apply by 30 September in the previous year.Ìý

If you apply and get an approval part way through a year, it will still end on 31 December that year.ÌýYou must apply forÌýapprovalÌýforÌýevery yearÌýthat youÌýoperateÌýas anÌýAE.

Charges

There is a charge for applying to be an AE of WEEE.ÌýIt’sÌýbased on the amount of evidence of whole WEEE exported for reuse issuedÌýduring the calendar year.Ìý

If you are approved as a small AEÌýand issue evidence for more than 400ÌýtonnesÌýof wholeÌýWEEEÌýduring a compliance year,ÌýyouÌýmustÌýmustÌýpay the balance of the higher chargeÌýwithinÌý28 days.Ìý

If your application is refused, your fee will not be refunded.Ìý

Charges in England

To find out what you need to pay forÌýAEs in England read part 2, sections 10 (1) and (2)ÌýofÌýtheÌýWaste (miscellaneous) charging schemeÌý2018.Ìý

To pay by:Ìý

• electronic transfer (BACS), make the payment when you complete the online form –Ìýyou’llÌýbe prompted to enter a payment reference number in the applicationÌý
• credit or debit card, select thisÌýoptionÌýin the application and a member of the team will contact you after they receive your application, to take the paymentÌý

Contact the teamÌýbefore you start your applicationÌýif you cannot pay by BACS, debitÌýcardÌýor credit card.

Charges in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales

To find out the fees for AEs in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, contact the relevant environmental regulator. You can payÌýyour feeÌýto those regulatorsÌýby:Ìý

• debitÌýcardÌýor credit card (using Quickpay), or BACS to the Scottish Environmental Protection AgencyÌý
• BACS toÌýNatural Resources WalesÌýand theÌýNorthern Ireland Environment AgencyÌýÌý

Contact the relevant regulator before you start your application if you cannot pay by these methods.

Before you start your application

Have the following information ready when you begin the application:

• for corporate bodies, your company registrationÌýnumberÌýandÌýyour company registration documentÌý

• for partnerships, a document showing evidence of the partnershipÌýÌý

• your exporterÌýnumber, ifÌýyou’veÌýbeen anÌýAEÌýof WEEE beforeÌýÌý

• a sampling and inspection planÌý– see ‘Sampling and inspection plans’ for details of what this must includeÌý

• details about the overseas sites you are exporting the WEEE toÌý

• evidence of equivalent standards for overseas facilities outside the EEAÌý

• the descriptions and waste codes of the WEEEÌýthatÌýyou’llÌýexportÌý

• details of your treatment,ÌýrecoveryÌýand recycling processesÌýÌý

• details of howÌýyou’llÌýmanage loads that are rejected at the site or returned to EnglandÌý

• details of any convictions underÌýthe Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, 2006 as amended or the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013

All supporting documents must be in English or translated into English.

Sampling and inspection plans

In the application form,Ìýyou’llÌýbe asked to upload your sampling and inspection plan. ThisÌýmust include details of:

• the weight of the WEEE
• the source of the WEEE
• whether it’s obligated or non-obligated
• the category of the WEEE
• whether it’s household (business to consumer) or non-household (business to business)
• the quantity in tonnes and category of any WEEE that is reused
• your use of nationally agreed protocols
• how the WEEE for reuse overseas is transported and what the market for that WEEE is

If youÌýhave questions about the plan, orÌýwant a template to complete, contact the relevant UK regulator.

Equivalent standards

If you export to a site located outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) you must provide evidence in your application that the site takes measures to ensure their waste operations will not endanger human health or harm the environment. You can provide:

• copies of permits or licences to show that it’s a regulated site operating to equivalent UK standards
• a statement from the competent authority under which the site operates confirming that the site operates to equivalent UK standards

See the guidance on acceptable evidence of broadly equivalent standards.

All evidence must:

• relate to the overseas reprocessing site in your applicationÌý

• be in date at the timeÌýyouÌýsubmitÌýyour applicationÌý

• refer to the reprocessing activity and the conditions and standards it needs to operateÌý

• have an official stamp on the original document from the competent authority,ÌýifÌýit’sÌýan environmentalÌýlicenceÌý

• be in English or have an English translation with it

Apply for approval

Your application will go to the environmental regulator of the UK country that your business is registered or located in. The regulators are:

• Environment Agency (England)
• Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Scotland)
• Natural Resources Wales (Wales)
• Northern Ireland Environment Agency (Northern Ireland)

What happens next

ItÌýcanÌýtake up toÌý12 weeksÌýto assess and make a decision on your application.ÌýA site visitÌýmight be neededÌýas part of the assessment.Ìý

IfÌýyour application isÌýapprovedÌýbefore 1 January,Ìýyour approvalÌýwill run from 1 January to 31 December of the following year.ÌýIf you apply part way through a year,ÌýyourÌýapproval willÌýstartÌýonÌýthe date the decision is made andÌýend onÌý31 December.ÌýÌý

If your application is refused,Ìýyou’llÌýbe told why and given details of your right to appeal.

If you need to add an extra overseas treatment, recovery or recycling site after you’ve received approval, you can apply to have this site added to your approval. Contact the relevant environmental regulator to do this.

Your duties as an AE

Comply with other laws

In moving and handling WEEE you have a duty of care and must comply with regulations for:

• waste transfer notes
• hazardous waste
• transport of dangerous goods

Issue evidence

You must only issue evidence notes for the reuse of whole appliances sent overseas received by or on behalf of a PCS.

You must issue evidence notes to a PCS through the – a secure website that generates evidence notes.

See the WEEE evidence and national WEEE protocols guidance for details on issuing evidence.

Keep records and report

You must complete quarterly returns and send them to the environmental regulator that granted your approval. You must keep a copy of the data used in each return for 4 years.

You must do this through the .

In each quarterly return you must tell your environmental regulator:

• total amount of WEEE exported in tonnes by category, whether household or non-household, and the scheme it was received from
• total amount of WEEE exported for reuse as a whole appliance, treatment, recovery or recycling in tonnes by category, whether household or non-household and the scheme it was received from
• name of each scheme who evidence has been issued to and the total tonnage of evidence issued to that scheme
• total amount of non-obligated WEEE received in tonnes by category

If you have no data to report for a quarter you must still report this. There is an option for you to submit a nil return by confirming that you have no data to report.

You should keep any supporting information such as export paperwork, shipping documents, contract details, weighbridge tickets, photographs and invoices as added proof of your work.

Quarterly reporting dates

The environmental regulator must receive the report by the following dates:

• quarter 1 (January, February, March) by 30 April
• quarter 2 (April, May, June) by 31 July
• quarter 3 (July, August, September) by 31 October
• quarter 4 (October, November, December) by 31 January

Sanctions for non-compliance

Your environmental regulator may suspend or cancel your AE status if you fail, or are likely to fail, any of the conditions in .

You’ll receive a notice which:

• gives the reasons for the suspension or cancellation
• states the actions to take to lift the suspension or reapply for approval
• describes your right to appeal

Your WEEE online account, PCS and public register entry will be updated to reflect your status.

A suspension or cancellation of your approval means you cannot issue evidence notes – only WEEE received during ‘approved’ status can have evidence issued against it.

Other sanctions for non-compliance are:

• warning letters
• formal cautions
• prosecution under criminal law:
  • at a magistrates court a fine not exceeding £5,000 for each offence
  • at Crown Court an unlimited fine

Legislation

For the legislation, see:

Get help

If you have questions,Ìýneed help completing your application,Ìýor would like the form in a different format,Ìýcontact theÌýrelevant environmental regulator:

England

Email: weee@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone: 03708 506 506

Scotland

Email: producer.responsibility@sepa.org.uk

Telephone: 01786 457700

Northern Ireland

Email: weee@daera-ni-gov.uk

Telephone: 028 9056 9338

Wales

Email: weee@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 065 3000

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