EU Voluntary Agreement: final draft is being evaluated by the EU and stakeholders

June 16, 2021

Early April, printer manufacturers’ group EuroVAprint sent the latest draft text to the EU Commission for evaluation. The text of the VA is not in the public domain yet but based on the penultimate version of the VA, Consultation Forum meetings and Minutes of the Subgroup on Targets published here: https://www.eurovaprint.eu/pages/voluntary-agreement/. It is believed to include a minimum percentage for cartridge reuse and details regarding firmware, signatories, and sub-signatories (see our info sent to Members during the last months). 

Once it becomes public, the Board of ETIRA will determine its position on the proposal. As you know, ETIRA’s position to date is that we prefer regulation but could support a VA provided it meets our 3 key demands: a substantial compulsory minimum percentage of all produced cartridges to be reused as a cartridge, prohibition of all anti-reuse tools and tactics like firmware updates, chips/chip resetting, embedded software etc., and a stop to imports of polluting and unhealthy non-OEM newbuilt cartridges at the EU border. 

Given the considerable importance for everyone in the cartridge remanufacturing industry, we also ask ETIRA members to study the papers and give us their views. See here for updates/details: https://www.eurovaprint.eu/pages/voluntary-agreement/