Overview

Amazon has released new compliance resources to help sellers navigate Germany's electronic waste regulations, known as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). Sellers offering electronic products on Amazon.de are legally required to register as producers with Germany's national authority, and non-compliant listings are being actively deactivated. New instructional materials on Seller Central aim to guide sellers through registration and listing reinstatement.

What WEEE Compliance Requires

Germany's WEEE regulation falls under the country's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. Any seller placing electrical or electronic equipment on the German market — including via Amazon.de — is classified as a producer under the law. This means sellers must register with the stiftung elektro-altgeräte register (EAR Foundation), the national authority overseeing electronic waste collection and recycling.

The regulation covers a wide spectrum of products including consumer electronics, household appliances, IT equipment, and lighting. Registration ensures that sellers contribute financially to the proper collection, recycling, and disposal of e-waste generated by their products. Without a valid registration number on file, sellers cannot legally offer covered products on the German marketplace.

Why Sellers Should Act Now

Amazon has been stepping up EPR enforcement across European marketplaces, and Germany stands out as one of the strictest markets for electronic waste compliance. Sellers who haven't registered or who lack valid WEEE registration numbers on their listings are seeing automatic deactivations — a trend that has already impacted thousands of sellers, particularly those based outside Germany who may not have been fully aware of the obligation.

The enforcement is not new, but Amazon's latest push signals that tolerance for non-compliance is shrinking. Deactivated listings mean lost sales immediately, and reinstatement isn't instant, making proactive compliance far preferable to reactive scrambling.

New Seller Central Resources

Amazon has published two resources in Seller Central to reduce confusion around WEEE obligations. The first is an instructional video walking sellers through the registration process and core compliance requirements. The second is a detailed written guide covering the same material with step-by-step instructions.