FAQs

ElektroG and stiftung ear

What is stiftung ear?

Stiftung ear is the "National Clearing House" within the meaning of ElektroG/WEEE. Thus stiftung ear carries out all the functions required by law for the implementation of the ElektroG: registration of manufacturers of WEEE as well as coordination of pick-up requests and the pick-up of WEEE from the public collecting points all over Germany. For further information please see here or http://www.stiftung-ear.de/en/

Do I have to label my products in a certain way?

To complete your registration with stiftung ear you have to turn in a photo, which shows that your product is labeled with a brand.

Furthermore, the crossed-out wheeled bin with the black bar beneath has to be on the product. Exceptionally, it can also be brought on the packaging or the manuals (§ 9 ElektroG).

Once your registration is approved by stiftung ear, you have to apply your WEEE-registration number in written business intercourse (§ 6 Abs. 2 ElektroG).

Sample text for information duties

Do I have to forward the guarantee documents to stiftung ear?

No. The documents are forwarded by us to stiftung ear, to enable stiftung ear to check the data input. 

Registration and notification

What is a B2B registration?

A B2B registration is needed if a producer markets equipment which is only used in other than private households or which is commonly not used in private households. The way of distribution is not decisive, but the site of possible usage. For example street lighting, cash registers, and servers.

For a B2B Registration, no insolvency safe guarantee needs to be provided. However, an explanation of the following questions must be sent to stiftung ear:

What equipment is it exactly, that is to be placed on the market and for which registration under the respective brand is being applied for?
What is the equipment used for?
Why does the equipment normally not occur in private households?

What has to be reported regarding the guarantee and the registration with stiftung ear?

In general one can say that there are several deadlines and reports to consider. The WEEE-FULL-SERVICE allows us to cosult you profoundly and above all - it allows us to assume a bigger part of your duties resulting from the ElektroG

Before you start marketing your equipment, the master registration and, for additional brands or types of equipment, the supplementary registrations must be carried out in the ear-system. stiftung ear specifies an approximate checking period lasting up to 3 months. WEEE compliance is only granted if you have received your registration number (WEEE-reg.-nr.). You should therefore submit your applications early enough.

The guarantees we provide to you must be recorded in the ear-system during the registration process. At that time the guarantees apply to the quantities you intend to market (planned quantity for master registration).

In the course of the year the actually marketed quantities during the previous month must then be reported by the 15th of each month for each registration. The tonnage recorded in this manner is relevant for the level of the disposal obligation and the guarantee amount to be deposited. 

After the expiry of a year the sum of the 12 monthly reports results in the actual marketed quantity. As long as the guarantee amount based on the planned quantity has not been exceeded, any adjustment of the guarantee amount is voluntary. If the planned quantity is exceeded, the deposited guarantee amount must be increased and the record adjusted accordingly in the ear-system. Please note that a change of the guarantee amount in the ear-system is chargeable. Please contact us to let us check whether such a change is reasonable!

Guarantee certificates have a duration of one calender year and must be updated at the end of each year. For this purpose you should provide us with your planned quantities for the subsequent year by 31 October of the current year. We will, of course, remind you ahead of this deadline. As soon as the new guarantee certificates have been issued, they can be recorded in the ear-system. The planned quantities for your update registration must be recorded by 31 December of the current year.

There are further reports as well, f.e. the final report at the end of the year concerning your disposal.

Who can use the registration and reporting service? How can I participate?

The registration and reporting service can be booked by every participant of the WEEE Guarantee System. Simply send us an email  - we will accompany you during the following steps.

How does the Notification Service work? Which benefits do I have and what does it cost?

Bitkom Servicegesellschaft functions as main contact person towards stiftung ear. That way we can implement all necessary registrations and reports for you on time. Of course, we will forward all important information and reminders to you.

What needs to be done when exiting the market?

A market retirement occurs when a company discontinues marketing equipment with mandatory registration. Please inform both the team of the WEEE Guarantee System and stiftung ear.

What needs to be done if the corporate name changes?

Please inform both the team of the WEEE Guarantee System and stiftung ear. With stiftung ear's confirmation that your registration can continue using the existing registration number, the guarantee certificates can be reissued with the new corporate name.

Please contact us in case of mergers etc. We like to support you throughout the process.

Guarantee

Who needs a guarantee? Who has to be registered pursuant to ElektroG?

Pursuant to the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG), which is based on the WEEE Directive, every manufacturer is obliged to provide annual evidence of an insolvency-proof guarantee for financing the collection and disposal of the electrical and electronic equipment put into circulation after 24 November 2005 and which may be used in private households.

The term manufacturers also includes dealers or importers who first introduce the equipment to the area in which the law is applicable (so-called "quasi manufacturers").

Without proper registration manufacturers are no longer allowed to market their products! Further informationen on guarantees can be found at our homepage under ElektroG/WEEE and at the homepage of stiftung ear.

 

How do I calculate my guarantee amount? To which type of equipment does my product belong to? How do I estimate my planned quantity?

The guarantee amount for the volume of equipment you sell is calculated as follows:

  • Guarantee amount [€] = basic registration sets [t] x expected return quotas [%]
                                          x expected treatment/disposal costs [€/t]

The basic registration set (planned quanity in tons) is the net weight of your marketed products. The values for the expected return quotas and the expected disposal costs vary according to the type of equipment. So you must take care to classify the equipment you sell in the correct product categories.

The formula for the calculation of the guarantee amount and the values of the expected return quotas and expected disposal costs have all been fixed in the rules of stiftung ear (data for the computation of the guarantee amount ).

The average service life for devices of a particular type of equipment is also specified. This is used as a basis on which to calculate how long a Guarantee Certificate must be maintained for the amount of equipment placed on the market.

A subscription to the WEEE Guarantee System means that you do not make advance payment of the small sums for risk protection for the whole of the average service life period, but rather on a year-to-year basis for the amount of equipment still in circulation. This gives positive interest effects unlike other guarantee systems based on pre-financing.

Is a separate guarantee required for each type of equipment?

Yes. The WEEE Guarantee System resp. the weee full-service covers all types of equipment of the following categories:

  • Temperature exchange Equipment
  • Screens and Monitors
  • Gas discharge lamps
  • Other lamps, except gas discharge lamps
  • Large Equipment
  • Large Photovoltaic modules
  • Small Equipment
  • Small Photovoltaic modules
  • Small ITC equipment

So you only need to address your questions about the guarantee to one single partner, no matter which products or how many different types of equipment you sell.

How does the WEEE Guarantee System work? What are my benefits and what does it cost?

The WEEE Guarantee System by Bitkom Servicegesellschaft offers you a procedure recognised by stiftung ear and in line with section 7 Para. 4 of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) requiring default-proof coverage of your guarantee obligations. Bitkom Servicegesellschaft manages the GSA and is therefore the contact for guarantee issues. In a guarantee case it acts as a fiduciary towards stiftung ear. The external financial partner for securing the risk is Zurich Insurance plc, branch for Germany. Every manufacturer pays a share of a small premium for the collective financing of a surety insurance. The warranty sum itself need not be paid. The outflow of liquidity is thus clearly reduced without straining the line of credit.

For calculating your annual fees you can also use our calculator.

Who can participate in the WEEE Guarantee System?

The WEEE Guarantee System is open to German and foreign interested companies from all industry sectors and for all kinds of equipment (photovoltaic modules only for amounts up to five tons per year) Participation does not depend on a membership of Bitkom e.V.

How can I change over to the WEEE Guarantee System? Can I cover backdated periods, too?

Changing over to the WEEE Guarantee System is easily possible at any time. We also insure backdated periods for you. As soon as the guarantees in the ear-system have been approved, fiduciary agreements and bank accounts can be dissolved. If you also book our Notification Service, we take care of the exchange of guarantees in the ear-system for you.

Please contact us to help you check your saving potentials!

How do I apply for a guarantee?

Please fill out the inquiry and return it to us.

Do I have to foward the guarantee documents to stiftung ear?

 

No. The documents are forwarded by us to stiftung ear, to enable stiftung ear to check the data input.

What happens when a guarantee becomes operative?

If such an event occurs, the WEEE Guarantee System is a reliable partner at your side because as trustees we take care of all transactions involved in the guarantee process from verifying the validity of the claims to ensuring that safe disposal of waste equipment is in place.

CE labelling

What does the abbreviation "CE" stand for?

The abbreviation "CE" originally stood for "Communautés Européennes" (= "European Communities"), but is now translated rather as "Conformité Européennes" (= "European conformity").

What does the CE marking on a product mean?

By labelling the CE mark on a product, the manufacturer declares that this product complies with all applicable harmonization regulations in the EU and that this has been proven in a conformity assessment procedure. 
All relevant directives requiring CE labelling can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/ce-marking/manufacturers_de

If a product falls under one or more of these directives, CE labelling is mandatory and a prerequisite for placing the product on the market or putting it into service. 

The CE mark is neither a quality seal nor a designation of origin.

Who must affix the CE marking?

Only the manufacturer or his authorized representative may affix the CE marking.

When must the CE marking be affixed?

The CE marking must be affixed before a product is first placed on the EU market. A product may only bear a CE labelling if the product is actually subject to a corresponding EU directive requiring a CE  labelling.

Where does the CE marking apply or where is it mandatory?

The CE mark is primarily valid in the entire EU, but also in all EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) and other countries that have concluded a corresponding agreement with the EU (e.g. Turkey).

What is a conformity assessment?

Conformity assessment is a process to be carried out by the manufacturer. In this process the manufacturer must prove that all requirements for the respective product are fulfilled.  This has to be done in both the design and the production phase of a product. The conformity of a product must be ensured during the entire distribution period by taking appropriate measures for each product.

What is an EU Declaration of Conformity?

The EU Declaration of Conformity (EU DoC) may only be issued by the manufacturer or his authorized representative within the EU and it confirms the conformity of the product with the relevant EU directives.