| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin |
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| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.11, No.25, 30.6.05 |
| Publication Date | 30/06/2005 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Martin Banks Date: 30/06/05 THE European Commission is expected to begin next week the first stage in a legal process against several member states for their failure to transpose key EU legislation on electrical and electronic waste. Among the seven member states facing possible infringement proceedings is the UK, which will have taken over the presidency of the EU just days earlier. The others are Denmark, Ireland, Italy, France, Malta and Poland. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive is intended to prevent toxic substances getting into the water supply. The directive, which applies to internet sellers and high street retailers, entered into force on 13 February 2003 and the deadline for member states to transpose it into national law was 13 August last year. The EU's ten new member states were granted a two-year extension for the collection and recovery of waste. A spokeswoman for Stavros Dimas, the environment commissioner, said a formal decision on enforcement action was expected from the College of Commissioners next Wednesday (6 July). She said the Commission had sent letters to the offending member states. She added: "As they still have not transposed the directive, the Commission is now looking at initiating proceedings." The directive makes it a producer's responsibility to take back redundant electrical appliances. An estimated 90% of such goods are currently thrown away. Electronic waste accounts for up to 40% of lead found in landfill sites. All such products will have to carry a symbol (a crossed out dustbin) forbidding dumping from 13 August. The total cost for compliance with the WEEE directive is estimated to range from 1% for most of the electrical and electronic equipment to 2-3% for fridges and TVs. A spokeswoman for the UK Department of Trade and Industry said the UK hoped to transpose the directive by January 2006 and implement it by next summer. Article reports that the European Commission was planning to start infringement procedures against seven EU Member States for not fully transposing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which is intended to prevent toxic substances getting into the water supply. The directive, which entered into force in 2003 and should have been transposed by 13 August 2004, makes it a producer's responsibility to take back redundant electrical appliances. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Environment |
| Countries / Regions | Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland, United Kingdom |
