Ministers “caved in” to producers over Battery Directive

Greenpeace and the European Environmental Bureau said the decision by the EU Environment Council on the proposed Battery Directive was a “feeble step”. And, the groups said that ministers had “caved in” to pressure from power tool producers.

” Certain ministers have caved in to pressure from backward-looking power tool producers to undermine the aims of the Directive.“
– Jorgo Riss, Greenpeace
The proposed Battery Directive requires the collection and recycling of waste batteries, and limits their disposal by landfill or incineration. The original EU Commission proposal for the Directive included an 80% collection target for batteries containing hazardous cadmium, but this was dropped yesterday. Instead, there is to be a phasing out of cadmium in portable batteries.

But, along with exemptions for medical and emergency equipment, the Council agreed to an exemption for cordless power tools, which makes up about 70% of the market for cadmium batteries. These batteries will still require collection and recycling under the Directive's general targets (see letsrecycle.com story).

Feeble
Speaking yesterday after the Council decision, Jorgo Riss of Greenpeace's European Unit, said: “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. Certain ministers have caved in to pressure from backward-looking power tool producers to undermine the aims of the Directive.”

The exemption for cordless power tools will be reviewed four years after the date for transposing the Directive into national law. But in a joint statement, Greenpeace and the EEB have said this is not good enough.

The EEB, which represents European pressure groups including Friends of the Earth, said that the exemptions “run counter to the objective of rewarding innovative frontrunners”.

While the groups welcomed the decision to phase out cadium in certain batteries – for mobile phones, toys and camcorders – but said along with the exemptions on portable batteries, “nothing is explicitly foreseen for industrial batteries”.

Positive
Stefan Scheuer, EU policy director at EEB said there was a positive part in yesterday's decision, that the new Commission administration should now accept the need for a phase-out of cadmium, rather than purely collection targets.

Mr Scheuer said: “It is a good sign that Member States have endorsed the substitution principle by putting in place a ban for cadium use in batteries and rejecting the Commission's flawed approach. This should provide a clear direction for the new Commission.”

But, Mr Riss said there was no excuse for not banning power tool batteries as well. He said: “The Council's own Impact Assessment documents, recent studies and the industry's own information show that there are safer alternatives to cadium power tool batteries available on the market at minimal extra cost.”