Will the RES Directive be replaced by a regulation?

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) may be replaced by a regulation in connection with the reform.

The European Commission is expected to present its proposal for a Circular Economy Act (CEA) package soon. The package has been expected since November, but according to Uusiouutis, the latest estimate is that the package will be published on December 2, 2026.

Very little information has leaked about the exact contents of the CEA.

Unconfirmed information about the SER regulation

Producer responsibility expert company Landbell Group reported in Novemberthat as part of the CEA, the Commission is considering reforming the SER regulation so that the current directive would be replaced by a regulation directly applicable in the member states.

The reform is expected to change, among other things, the calculation method for SER's collection targets so that the calculation would better take into account the service lives of different product types.

The initiative aims to reduce dependence on imports of critical raw materials and strengthen the internal market for secondary raw materials.

The preliminary information has not yet been confirmed.

Once the Commission's actual CEA legislative proposal is published, the deliberations of the EU Parliament and the Council will begin.

Text: Elina Saarinen, Uusiouutiset

Image: Adobe Stock. The circular economy industry is waiting for the EU Commission to publish its proposal for the Circular Economy Act (CEA). The original schedule was for the proposal to be published in the third quarter of this year, but the presentation has been delayed.