By Brian Johnson - 21st December 2004
EU member states have approved a deal on controversial new battery collection and recycling targets.
Environment ministers reached agreement in Brussels on Monday approving the EU’s new batteries directive, though in a more watered down form than initially proposed.
Disagreements had threatened to derail the directive until the Dutch EU presidency brokered a compromise deal.
A flat recycling rate for batteries across the EU initially proposed at 40 per cent, and upped by the European Parliament to 50 per cent, was finally agreed at 25 per cent for the first four years after the directive comes into force, and 45 per cent after eight years.
The crucial sticking points in the deal were a partial ban on nickel-cadmium batteries and the dropping of proposals for an 80 per cent collection and recycling rate for cadmium containing batteries.
Cadmium is a known carcinogen, linked to kidney, bone and liver damage.
Tonnes of nickel-cadmium batteries currently end up in landfill sites or incinerators.
Ministers agreed a partial ban on using cadmium in consumer batteries, but exemptions for emergency alarm systems, medical equipment and cordless power tools drastically reduce the scope of the phase out.
Power tools account for 70 per cent of the nickel-cadmium market and heavy lobbying by manufacturers was backed by Germany, France, the UK and Poland.
But ministers did agree to review the exemption on power tools four years after the directive comes into force.
Environmental groups criticised the deal on power tools as “outrageous.”
“Over 20 years after the Council called for cadmium to be substituted wherever possible, today’s decision represents just a feeble step in that direction,” said Jorgo Riss of Greenpeace.
“Certain ministers have caved in to pressure from backward-looking power tool producers to undermine the aims of the directive.”
The European Commission, which had threatened to withdraw its proposal last week, welcomed the agreement on the binding collection and recycling targets and on the partial cadmium ban.
But environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, was concerned about the sluggish implementation period for member states.
“Experience with existing collection schemes shows that the agreed time-frame for achieving the 45 per cent collection rate, which is eight years after the transposition date, is unnecessarily long,” said the environment chief.
“The faster we act now in collecting and recycling, the better for the environment and the more cost-effective.”
The agreement will still have to be approved by the European Parliament, which had been in favour of tougher collection targets.
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