L 197/38 Official Journal of the European Union 24.7.2012 DIRECTIVE 2012/19/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (recast) (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE inter alia, the reduction of wasteful consumption of EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: (1) A number of substantial changes are to be made to Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (%). In the interests of clarity, that Directive should be recast. (2)  The objectives of the Union’s environment policy are, in particular, to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment, to protect human health and to utilise natural resources prudently and rationally. That policy is based on the precautionary principle and the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environ- mental damage should, as a priority, be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay. (3)  The Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development (Fifth Environmental Action Programme) (°) stated that the achievement of sustainable development calls for significant changes in current patterns of development, production, consumption and behaviour and advocates, () OJ C 306, 16.12.2009, p. 39. () OJ C 141, 29.5.2010, p. 55. (®) Position of the European Parliament of 3 February 2011 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and position of the Council at first reading of 19 July 2011 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Position of the European Parliament of 19 January 2012 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 7 June 2012. (*) OJ L 37, 13.2.2003, p. 24. () O] C 138, 17.5.1993, p. 5. natural resources and the prevention of pollution. It mentioned waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) as one of the target areas to be regulated, in view of the application of the principles of prevention, recovery and safe disposal of waste. This  Directive  supplements the general waste management legislation of the Union, such as Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste (°). It refers to the definitions in that Directive, including the definitions of waste and general waste management operations. The definition of collection in Directive 2008/98/EC includes the preliminary sorting and preliminary storage of waste for the purposes of transport to a waste treatment facility. Directive 2009/125/EC  of the European Parliament and of the Council(?) establishes a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for energy-related products and enables the adoption of specific ecodesign  requirements for energy-related products which may also be covered by this Directive. Directive 2009/125/EC and the implementing measures adopted pursuant thereto are without prejudice to the waste management legislation of the Union. Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and elec- tronic equipment (%) requires the substitution of banned substances in respect of all electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) within its scope. As the market continues to expand and innovation cycles become even shorter, the replacement of equipment accelerates, making EEE a fast-growing source of waste. While Directive 2002/95/EC has contributed effectively to reducing hazardous substances contained in new EEE, hazardous substances such as mercury, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chromium and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and ozone-depleting substances will still be present in WEEE for many years. The content of hazardous components in EEE is a major concern during the waste management phase, and recycling of WEEE is not undertaken to a sufficient extent. A lack of recycling results in the loss of valuable resources. The purpose of this Directive is to contribute to sustainable production and consumption by, as a first priority, the prevention of WEEE and, in addition, by the re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery of 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3. 0J L 0J L 285, 31.10.2009, p. 10. 0J L 37, 13.2.2003, p. 19.