This policy essay discusses the potential of smart regulation on the basis of supply-chain regulation by the European Union (EU), and in particular the regulatory enforcement policy of e-waste in the Netherlands. In this policy essay, we first describe this approach as an example of smart regulation, by analyzing (1) how the supply-chain approach aims to prevent illegal export, (2) what effects can be expected of self-regulation and third-party regulation (3) how public enforcement is organized. We then broaden our analysis from the e-waste supply chain to the more general issue of the life-cycle of metals in electronics, to demonstrate that a solution to the problem of e-waste may be not in further criminalizing e-waste, but in better regulation of the recycling market.

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doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2010.00652.x, hdl.handle.net/1765/20115
Criminology and Public Policy
Criminology

van Erp, J., & Huisman, W. (2010). Smart Regulation and Enforcement of Illegal Disposal of Electronic Waste. Criminology and Public Policy, 9(3), 579–590. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2010.00652.x