Battery Directive “not a priority” for UK presidency of EU

The UK took over the presidency on July 1 this year and now has the responsibility for overseeing the legislation being proposed at EU level.

” If agreed following conciliation the Directive will come into force in the UK in 2008. The draft Batteries Directive is not a priority for the UK Presidency.“
– DTI
One of the Directives that is currently pending is the Batteries Directive, which has so far had its first reading in Europe. A second reading is expected towards the end of this year.

The new Directive includes the setting of binding collection and recycling targets, and a partial ban on using cadmium in portable (consumer) batteries. All industrial and automotive batteries are to be collected for recycling under the Directive.

But, the UK government does not intend to push through the Directive quickly and it is now expected that the Austrian presidency – beginning in January 2006 – will have the responsibility for taking the Directive through to implementation at a European level.

It is likely to be a further two years on from this date that national implementation will take place, with targets starting two to four years after that.

Conciliation
A spokeswoman for the DTI said: “We expect the batteries dossier to be transmitted to the European Parliament in September, for second reading in December. However we don't anticipate that there will be agreement following second reading.

“It is more likely that the draft Directive will go to conciliation during the Austrian Presidency in 2006. If agreed following conciliation the Directive will come into force in the UK in 2008. The draft Batteries Directive is not a priority for the UK Presidency,” the spokeswoman added.

Slow
It is thought that European member states will prefer a slow progression of the Directive, because it will give battery producers a chance to develop more non-hazardous batteries that are easier to recycle.

Clare Hudson of the Local Government International Bureau, said: “The Council of Ministers seems to be happy with a slow moving Directive. It will not only allow producers plenty of time to work on producing less hazardous batteries, but it will also give countries like the UK a chance to develop an infrastructure to deal with the batteries.

“If the Directive were to come in now the UK would not be in a position to reach the targets and it would face punishments from the very start,” she added.