EU ministers set for charged battery debate

A last minute compromise deal by the Dutch presidency may not be enough to save a deal on the EU’s watered down, but still controversial batteries directive when environment ministers meet in Brussels on Monday.

The directive, intended to stop used batteries being disposed of in landfills or incinerators, and to recover the hazardous metals such as mercury and cadmium used in them, would create an EU wide framework for national battery collection and recycling.

But with widely differing collection and recycling rates across the EU – Belgium currently collects 25 grams of batteries per inhabitant, while the UK only manages two grams – the European Commission’s initial proposals were severely watered down by pressure from a number of member states.

A European Parliament proposal for a 50 per cent collection and recycling flat rate across the EU has been replaced by a Dutch compromise.

The proposal would lower targets to 20 per cent for the first four years after the directive comes into force, and 40 per cent after seven years then 50 per cent after ten years.

But even these lower targets may prove difficult for the UK and some of the EU’s newest member states to implement.

The most crucial sticking point is the issue of a ban on nickel-cadmium batteries.

An outright ban on nickel-cadmium batteries – but with a number of hefty exemptions –was put forward by the European Parliament in April.

The commission was not convinced that any ban was required and rejected the idea.

But the Dutch compromise includes a partial ban on every day use of nickel-cadmium batteries with exemptions for emergency and alarm systems, medical equipment and cordless power tools.

With power tools accounting for 70 per cent of nickel-cadmium batteries their exclusion is a massive exemption, but the commission still remains sceptical, and with the support of France and the UK has threatened to withdraw its initial proposal over this issue, effectively ending any chance of agreement.

Environmental groups are pushing member states for a complete ban, with the European Environmental Bureau accusing some member states of being in “the grip of the battery industry lobby.”

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