THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EUROPEAN UNION ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC WASTE LEGISLATION AND STANDARDS IN MACEDONIA

Development of technologies produces increasing of electrical and electronic equipment and waste generation from this equipment. Electrical and electronic waste sector is one of the fastest rising sectors in the waste area. This waste is a very complex mixture of components and materials which because of hazardous characteristics can produce environmental and health problems. It causes an urgent need for reducing the hazardous substances in the electrical and electronic equipment. The European Union as one of the world leaders in environmental sphere has developed a comprehensive legislation that introduces a high level of standards of electrical and electronic waste management. These standards strive toward to the minimization and reduction of this waste and protection of the environment. Macedonia as a country with candidate status for full membership of the EU has many obligations in the area of environment and waste management, including electrical and electronic waste. In this area the country has unsatisfactory results, despite starting of transposing of EU legislation. The level of recycling and other forms of recovery is very low. The most of the electronic and electrical waste without any pretreatment is deposited on the landfills which do not meet EU and national standards. It produces the numerous of risks on the environment. Separate collection of this waste stream has not completely established. The shortage of recycling capacities for many components of electrical and electronic equipment, presents export as the only solution. In the future Macedonia has to make significant efforts to improve the management of electrical and electronic waste. The current situation disables the achievement of the targets determined in the national legislation. There is a lack of researches in this waste sector. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the implementation of the EU electrical and electronic waste legislation and standards in Macedonia. Also the paper makes efforts to give some recommendations and to initiate further researching in this waste sector.