Waste management policy is an important part of the overall environmental protection policy and is oriented according to the recognized guiding principle of “sustainable development”. A central concern is the further development of the safe disposal of already generated waste to resource management.

The material conversion caused by the production of goods results in a great quantity of wastes and pollutants. Remedy can be guaranteed in this context on the one hand by a responsible use of materials, and on the other hand by an increased implementation of the circular-flow economy. Already at the stage of the production of goods reuse and recovery have to be included in the planning process and pollutants have to be avoided. Separate collection, and increase in material efficiency or in energy efficiency with electrical or electronic appliances are the core of sustainable management. The principle of producers' responsibility, in particular the financial producers' responsibility with the cost born according to the polluter-pays principle, constitutes an important element of the common waste policy.

Special importance is attached to the waste flow of electrical and electronic appliances, as the production of electrical and electronic appliances constitutes still one of the most innovative and one of the most rapidly growing sectors of industry. In Austria the respective Directive could be implemented in time and completely, for the minimum quota (4kg/EW/a) is, with a recycling quantity of 8kg/EW/a exceeded by 100 %. Also the system of electronic registration is cheap and smoothly functioning.

The transfer of knowledge and the exchange of experience constitute important elements for introducing good solutions and comparable standards in the whole world. I am looking forward to the world of experts meeting in Austria, in Salzburg, the town of Mozart, on the occasion of the IERC 2010, and I wish every success and a nice stay.