The long-awaited “application amendment” to the Waste Act was approved by the Slovak Parliament on October 18th, 2017. Its publication in the Collection of Laws is expected soon.
The amendment is aimed mostly at improvement of the Extended Producer Responsibility system, and it introduces the rules for handling of mercury. Moreover, it focuses also to minor construction waste, pneumatic tyres or dangerous waste transport.
In the framework of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) the amendmentintroduces and stipulates e.g. the following:
- lower annual quantity limit (100 kg) of packaging and non-packaging products introduced to the Slovak market – the companies that will introduce to the market less than the above limit shall be obliged to register, evidence and report, however, they will not be obliged to e.g. ensure the collection and recover,
- obligations of the Coordination Centres and creation of control bodies in the framework of their structure,
- relationship between producers and Producer Responsibility Organizations and creation of control bodies in the framework of their structure,
- amendment of the non-packaging product definition,
- adjustment of definition of packaging producer and producer of non-packaging product,
- new obligations of Product Responsibility Organizations (e.g. quarterly elaboration and publication of Progress Report)
Vast majority of amended provisions will enter into force by January 1st, 2018.
Related regulations shall be certainly also amended as a result of the act amendment. These regulations are under cross-sectoral discussion at present and they are expected to come into force by January 1st, 2018.
We will inform you on the changes related mostly to the PRO immediately after the official publication of the amendment in the Collection of Laws.
October 24th, 2017
