Japanese call for electronic waste rethink

Date: 30/03/2000

By Peter Chapman

TOP Japanese firms operating in the EU are calling on the European Commission to scrap key aspects of imminent proposals for new legislation to govern the treatment 'end of life' electronics equipment.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström is expected to unveil her plans before Easter. But members of the Japan Business Council in Europe (JCBE), which represents 25 leading companies, claim the latest draft of the proposals would place too great a burden on firms and could breach World Trade Organisation rules.

JBCE president Hajime Tsuruoka, European chief of Japanese office technology and IT giant Canon, insists the Commission should rethink its planned ban on the use of substances such as cadmium, 'hexavalent chromiun', certain flame retardants and lead solder in equipment by 2004.

He warned it would be "impossible to completely substitute the lead solder in the near future", adding: "It may be possible for some applications, but the use of lead is so wide and the conditions vary so widely that it is very difficult to substitute it entirely."

He also argued that the lack of a properly-conducted 'risk assessment' study to justify such bans could bring the EU into conflict with its trading partners.

Tsuruoka said the Commission had yet to demonstrate that such embargoes, and the subsequent disruption to trade, would be justified by the environmental and health benefits. "A number of governments such as the Canadians and US are making it clear that if it ends up like the current draft, there would be problems under WTO rules," he added.

The JBCE also shares the concerns voiced by European and US rivals over future Union legislation to govern products which are already on the market.

Top Japanese firms operating in the EU are calling on the European Commission to scrap key aspects of imminent proposals for new legislation to govern the treatment of 'end-of-life' electronics equipment.