By Lucy Sherriff for The
Register.
This story has been reproduced with permission.
A spokesman told The Register: "Amazon.co.uk does not
deliver certain items to the Republic of Ireland because of the
implementation of rules relating to the EU WEEE directive.
"The issue relates to the IE treatment of non IE based distance
sellers such as ourselves. We are deemed 'producers' as far as the
IE are concerned which makes us responsible as EU Importers –
in fact we are not EU importers at all but source all products from
within the EU."
This means Amazon is hit by the Irish WEEE waste tariff when it
sells into the Irish Republic, even though equivalent tariffs have
already been paid by the producers of the kit in question.
The company says while it is committed to recycling it feels a
double tariff is unfair.
The European Union will be reviewing the implementation of the
directive in all member states next year. Amazon says it hopes the
EU will agree with its view. It hopes to be able to start selling
to Ireland again once the position is "clarified".
© The Register
2006
