Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-12-Speech-1-071"
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"en.20051212.14.1-071"2
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".
Mr President, my group welcomes the batteries directive as an important first attempt to take these potentially environmentally damaging substances out of the waste stream.
Starting first with the collection targets, my group doubts whether there is any point in pretending that many Member States can go further than the collection rate set out in the Council common position. Let us be frank about this: as the Commission impact assessment states, only six Member States currently have a national system of collecting small batteries for recycling – Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and Sweden. Austria has achieved 40% collection after 14 years. The common position calls for a collection rate of 25% after 6 years and 40% after 10 years. In the context of what we know about the countries that do collect batteries, that seems reasonable.
The report now calls for higher targets: 40% after 6 years and 50% after 12 years. From the point of view of Member States which, for whatever reason, have never given battery recycling a high priority, these totals are unrealistic and, if set, will simply not be reached. This is neither the time nor the place for gesture politics. Delaying the directive by wrangling over unrealistic targets does nobody any good.
Secondly, the rapporteur is moving his Amendment 42, calling for bans on lead and cadmium in power tool batteries. We believe that any such moves need to comply in the first instance with the common approach to impact assessment, recently agreed between the Commission, Council and Parliament. In this instance, Parliament, at my instigation, asked outside experts to draw up an impact assessment, but this was itself limited in its scope. We need a full assessment of the social, environmental and economic impact of any such bans before we agree to introduce them. Until we have that full assessment, it would be irresponsible to follow the rapporteur’s lead, because we would be law-making in the dark.
Finally, as far as the legal base is concerned, we support the proposal that the directive should be based on Articles 175 and 95. We believe that basing this directive on Article 175 alone would run the risk of distorting the market, because individual countries could strengthen the prohibitions contained in it.
I am confident that this directive represents a major change of direction and of public habits for many European countries. We should have turned to specific battery collection long ago. I hope we can now put this proposal into operation as soon as possible."@en1
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