Compliance requirements in Malta

WEEE Regulations

Batteries Regulations

Packaging Regulations

WEEE requirements

Registration timescale

Timescale not yet published

Registration agency

Malta Environment and Planning Authority

Regulations in English Regulations in Maltese

Batteries requirements

Registration timescale

Not yet defined

Registration Agency

Not yet defined although likely to be Environment Agency (MEPA)

Registration, collection and recycling obligations for batteries producers

Producers of portable batteries

Producers can join a collective scheme and transfer legal responsibility to the scheme. Separate collection of portable batteries is currently organised by WasteServ, a company set up by the government, which is partly financed through the eco-contribution fund*. Options for individual compliance are currently under development.

*Battery producers/importers have been subject to an eco-tax, or eco-contribution, per unit placed on the market since September 2004. Current amounts are:

• EUR 0.06 for primary cells and primary batteries (excluding some medical devices)
• EUR 0.06 for accumulators, whether or not rectangular, not exceeding 35 grammes in weight
• EUR 1.63 for those exceeding 35 grammes

A legal notice of February 2008 provides for producers to be exempted from the eco-contribution or granted a credit if they set-up or participate in an approved waste recovery scheme. However, the commencement date of this notice has yet to be announced.

Producers of industrial batteries

Not yet defined in the Maltese regulations

Packaging requirements

The competent authority to which obligated parties must register and submit data based on the amount of packaging handled in Malta is still to be confirmed.

The deadline for meeting recycling targets in Malta is delayed until 31 December 2013 in accordance with the amendment to the revised Directive, 2005/20/EC.

The Competent Authority may exempt a producer from all or part of these Regulations if the producer can show that he has a signed membership agreement with an authorised packaging waste recovery scheme.

Thresholds

The Packaging Regulations in Malta applies to any business placing packaging on the market in Malta. There are no thresholds for companies who only handle small quantities of packaging.

For further information, please contact Aidan Turnbull
Head of WEEE, RoHS & EcoDesign on +44 (0)1225 748420