Electronic waste plan under review

Date: 16/03/2000

By Renée Cordes

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström is re-examining her draft proposals for legislation to govern the recycling of waste from electronic equipment, following fierce arguments over the legality of planned new rules for scrap cars.

The move has been prompted by fears that the current electronic waste proposals could provoke legal skirmishes similar to those sparked by the end-of-life vehicles directive.

Officials say the environment chief is concerned about the risk of igniting fresh arguments over whether manufacturers can be held responsible for collecting and recycling products already on the market. They insist, however, that she should still be able to fulfil the pledge she made to the European Parliament last month to unveil firm proposals by Easter.

The planned electronic waste directive is being reviewed after a furious row over a key aspect of the scrap-car proposal, which was fuelled by a confidential paper drawn up by the European Commission's own lawyers which questioned the legality of making car manufacturers liable for scrapping vehicles already on the market.

The industry argued that it would be unfair to make manufacturers pay for the cost of recycling cars which were not built with the requirements of the proposed directive in mind.

Although the Parliament endorsed the approach taken by EU governments in a vote last month, the debate is far from over, with car manufacturers threatening to challenge the planned legislation in the European Court of Justice.

It has also raised question marks over how future EU waste laws will be drawn up. "We are very much looking at the developments regarding end-of-life vehicles," said a Commission official.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström is re-examining her draft proposals for legislation to govern the recycling of waste from electronic equipment, following fierce arguments over the legality of planned new rules for scrap cars.