Our development shows that also small and medium-sized enterprises are able to successfully implement their interests if they act together. The development of our VERE Association is proving this:
2003 (7 members)
It was difficult to find at least seven persons among the concerned companies in order to be able to found an association.
Our aim was to found an association for the disposal of waste according to the Waste Management Act in order to solve the problems of handling the planned new legislation on used devices for small and medium-sized enterprises.
2004 (12 members)
Unfortunately, a solution for an association was not provided in the new Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act so that the sense of a foundation of an association was invalid.
A dispute with the Foundation EAR and some of the responsible authorities was inevitable whenever the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises had to be discussed.
Therefore, we decided to use VERE e.V. as a basis for the political disputes.
The newly founded take-e-way GmbH assumed the solution of commercial problems.
2005 (394 members yet)
The Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act was finally passed.
By working out solutions we were able to considerably reduce the problems for small and medium-sized enterprises resulting hereof.
2006 (1,106 members – We did not expect so much success ourselves)
The rendered solutions were more and more used by small and medium-sized enterprises.
VERE became the voice of the concerned small and medium-sized enterprises and therefore to a significant scope it was treated with hostility by opposite interest groups.
Since VERE intensively represented the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises on political level more and more small and medium-sized enterprises joined our association.
2007 (1,353 members)
In order to point out obvious injustices in the implementation of the law VERE commissioned two expert reports which are clearly proving our points of criticisms.
From our point of view the hostilities against the VERE association lack any fairness.
Our members support us without reserve and more and more companies joined our association.
Even political parties and authorities were forced to take this increasing number of concerned companies seriously as dialog partners.
2008 (1,483 members)
Even an open letter of the EAR which from our point of view defamed VERE and take-e-way in an unjustified way could not retard the continuous success of our association.
Due to the constant pressure from the outside VERE e.V. was able to politically assert itself as an association.
2009 (1,827 members – Suddenly we were the association with most members in the field of product responsibility)
With its increasing number of members the VERE Association became as important that the Federal German Ministry of Economics (BMWi) as well as the Ministry of the Environment (BMU) attended to the problems for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Solutions compliant for small and medium-sized enterprises were now no longer avoidable by the other powerful interest groups.
2010 (2,148 members)
Considerable changes in the board of managing directors at the Foundation EAR promised improvements.
First talks with Mr. Alexander Goldberg as new chairman of the Foundation EAR were positive and resulted in real improvements for the small and medium-sized enterprises.
Due to lots of inquiries of our members, VERE also took care of other topics such as for instance the Battery Act, Packaging Ordinance and GEMA/ZPÜ.
2011 (2,402 members)
The trust in a constructive-minded cooperation with the Foundation EAR increased and culminated in a lecture given by Mr. Goldberg at the first major roadshow of VERE and take-e-way in Berlin. The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Economics presented other speakers.
VERE finally established itself at the responsible ministries and authorities as voice of small and medium-sized enterprises.
2012 (2,689 members)
Our relations with Brussels were extended so that VERE is now also able to discuss our issues on European level.
Our second major roadshow with more than 120 top class participants in economics and politics was a platform on which the problems of small and medium-sized enterprises were constructively discussed.
2013 (currently 2,950 members, the 3,000 mark will soon be exceeded and thus we are aiming unabated into the future)
In the discussion about a revision of the WEEE directive and the amendment of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act related hereto VERE encounters open ears at all concerned authorities.
From the point of view of VERE the relationship to the BMWi as well as to the BMU and to the Foundation EAR may be regarded as extraordinary.
The VERE Association is fighting to ensure that its members may focus on their core business and do not forfeit their efficiency in the bureaucratic jungle.
Furthermore, VERE represents the interests of the importers as well as of the foreign market participants in order that a fair competition with the groups dominating the market may take place.
VERE is very pleased about the further increasing number of members. This proves us that the small and medium-sized enterprises are highly interested in an association were the actions may not be influenced by large scale enterprises.
We assure you that we will continue fighting for your interests on political level and would like to thank you for your support and trust.
In particular in the field of LED lamps VERE is fighting for a solution which avoids that this positive technique is "lumped together" with the suboptimal gas discharge lamps. This would render the considerably more cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly recycling process for LED lamps into the much more expensive disposal process for gas discharge lamps. Unless a very powerful lobby is trying this, we cannot imagine that the responsible authorities would accept the partially flimsy arguments of this interest group and thus render a disservice to the aim of the energy turnaround. Such a provision which "assesses jointly" gas discharge lamps and LEDs would in particular discriminate the innovative small and medium-sized enterprises towards their competitors dominating the market and make a monopolization in this field more likely.
About take-e-way
- Founded in 2004 in Hamburg
- Currently 16 employees
- Management: Jochen Stepp, Oliver Friedrichs
Business Fields: take-e-way GmbH at Hamburg/Germany assumes the implementation of requirements and obligations in conformity with the law according to the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG/WEEE), Battery Act (BattG) and Packaging Ordinance (VerpackV) for medium-sized companies in Germany and abroad.
VERE Association: take-e-way represents the interests of more than 2,900 companies even at political level in cooperation with the Verband zur Rücknahme und Verwertung von Elektro- und Elektronikaltgeräten (VERE Association for the take-back and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (VERE e.V. registered association)) founded in 2003, the organization of suppliers, manufacturers, trade associations and individual persons for implementation of the ElektroG in Germany having the largest number of members.
Press Contact
take-e-way GmbH
Christoph Brellinger
Corporate Communications
Liebigstraße 64
22113 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)40/750687-111
Fax: +49 (0)40/750687-101
http://www.take-e-way.com
presse[at]take-e-way.de
