Commissie reageert op amendementen batterijen-richtlijn uit het rapport-Blokland (en)

The European Commission welcomed the swift European Parliament vote today on a new Directive on batteries and accumulators. In particular the priority given to making producers contribute to the collection of all battery types. But the European Commission disagrees with some of the 87 amendments put forward by the EP. Notably, the Commission stands firm on amendments calling for a different collection target for portable batteries and a ban on lead and cadmium. These amendments are not supported by the results of the Extended Impact Assessment, which identified the Commission's proposals as the most sustainable ones from an environmental, economic and social perspective. The Directive, as proposed by the Commission, seeks to prevent spent batteries from ending up in landfills and incinerators, and to recover the various metals used in them. It would create an EU-wide framework for national battery collection and recycling schemes and enhance the proper functioning of the internal market.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström commented: "I welcome this fast reaction from the European Parliament. It reaffirms the high priority that the EU gives to making sure that batteries and accumulators no longer pollute the environment when they become waste. However, I maintain that our original proposal can achieve the environmental objectives we share with Parliament. At the same time it is the most cost-effective proposal, in line with the results of the Extended Impact Assessment that we conducted. I therefore stand by our proposal to introduce a closed loop system for lead and nickel-cadmium batteries, and the collection targets we set out for the different kinds of batteries."

The Parliament's vote in first reading comes less than six months after the Commission proposed the new Directive in November 2003. Among the most significant amendments tabled by the Parliament is a different collection target for portable (i.e. normal household) batteries, corresponding to 50% of the annual sales as of two years ago. The Commission's proposal envisaged a general collection target of 160 grams per inhabitant and year (corresponding to four to five batteries). In addition, the Commission proposed an additional target of 80% of the nickel-cadmium batteries disposed annually in each Member State. The Commission's proposed collected target was identified as the most cost-efficient target. Moreover, these proposals take account of the unpredictable life span of batteries and the fact that consumers often hoard them before bringing them to a collection point, which makes it difficult to link battery collection to annual sales, as well as of the special environmental concerns that nickel-cadmium batteries raise. The Commission will therefore reject the respective amendments.

The Parliament has further tabled an amendment extending an already existing ban on mercury in batteries to lead and cadmium. However, the Commission's Extended Impact Assessment showed that existing legislation, such as the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, together with the closed-loop system proposed, can provide an equivalent level of environmental protection at lower costs compared to banning lead and cadmium in batteries. The closed-loop system would mean that all batteries be collected and recycled, and their metals re-introduced in the economic cycle. In this way, no lead or cadmium would leak into the environment.

Next steps

After today's vote in the European Parliament, the Commission will introduce a modified proposal, accepting some of the amendments and rejecting others. The Council will then formulate its opinion on the proposed Directive in a common position. The co-decision procedure will end when the European Parliament and the Council reach agreement and formally adopt the Directive. After publication in the Official Journal and its entry into force, Member States will have 18 months to transpose the obligations of this Directive into national legislation.

For more information, see press release of 25 November 2003 - IP/03/1596

and the Commission's "Batteries" website at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/batteries/index.htm