Environment Agency: WEEE Exporter Approval Process

We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Apply to become an approved exporter (AE) and operate legally under the approval. Get emails about this page Print this page You must apply for approval if you are an exporter and you want to: This is known as ‘obligated’ WEEE . If the overseas treatment or recovery site receiving your WEEE is located outside of the European Economic Area ( EEA ) it must operate to the equivalent standard of an ATF in the UK. You may need an appropriate exemption or an environmental permit or licence . You must comply with the Waste Shipments Regulation . Approvals cover the period from 1 January to 31 December. You can apply for approval at any time in the year, but you need to apply at least 12 weeks before you want the approval to start. This is to give the regulator enough time to make a decision. If you want your approval to start on 1 January, you need to apply by 30 September in the previous year. If you apply and get an approval part way through a year, it will still end on 31 December that year. You must apply for approval for every year that you operate as an AE . There is a charge for applying to be an AE of WEEE . It’s based on the amount of evidence of whole WEEE exported for reuse issued during the calendar year. If you are approved as a small AE and issue evidence for more than 400 tonnes of whole WEEE during a compliance year, you must must pay the balance of the higher charge within 28 days. If your application is refused, your fee will not be refunded. To find out what you need to pay for AEs in England read part 2, sections 10 (1) and (2) of the Waste (miscellaneous) charging scheme 2018. Contact the team before you start your application if you cannot pay by BACS, debit card or credit card. To find out the fees for AEs in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, contact the relevant environmental regulator. You can pay your fee to those regulators by: Contact the relevant regulator before you start your application if you cannot pay by these methods. Have the following information ready when you begin the application: for corporate bodies, your company registration number and your company registration document for partnerships, a document showing evidence of the partnership your exporter number, if you’ve been an AE of WEEE before a sampling and inspection plan – see ‘Sampling and inspection plans’ for details of what this must include details about the overseas sites you are exporting the WEEE to evidence of equivalent standards for overseas facilities outside the EEA the descriptions and waste codes of the WEEE that you’ll export details of your treatment, recovery and recycling processes details of how you’ll manage loads that are rejected at the site or returned to England details of any convictions under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, 2006 as amended or the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 All supporting documents must be in English or translated into English. In the application form, you’ll be asked to upload your sampling and inspection plan. This must include details of: If you have questions about the plan, or want a template to complete, contact the relevant UK regulator. If you export to a site located outside of the European Economic Area ( EEA ) you must provide evidence in your application that the site takes measures to ensure their waste operations will not endanger human health or harm the environment. You can provide: See the guidance on acceptable evidence of broadly equivalent standards . relate to the overseas reproce