Environment and health: waste electrical and electronic equipment WEEE

2000/0158(COD)
The committee adopted the report by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, D) proposing a large number of amendments to the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading). The amendments focused on the following points: Separate collection: whereas the Commission was only seeking a collection target of 4 kg per head per year and the creation of efficient collection systems, the committee called for all WEEE to be collected separately and for a target of at least 6 kg per head per year; Costs for historic products: whereas the Commission was proposing that the disposal of products already in existence before the entry into force of the Directive should be financed by all existing producers, the committee wanted the costs for collection, treatment and environmentally sound disposal to be internalised within the product price and for disposal of such products to be financed collectively by all producers in proportion to their share of the market; Treatment: the committee insisted on the use of state-of-the-art recovery and recycling technologies. Treatment systems could be set up by producers collectively and/or individually; Recovery: the committee wanted tougher recovery, re-use and recycling targets for 2005, and therefore increased the proposed targets by around 5-10%. For example, for large household appliances such as washing machines or fridges,it increased the recovery target from 80% to 90% of weight, and the target for re-use and recycling from 75% to 85% of weight; Information: the committee wanted consumers to be properly informed about the arrangements for ending the disposal of WEEE alongside household waste. Penalties would be imposed on consumers who did not separate WEEE from household waste; Categories of EEE covered: the committee modified some of the categories listed by the Commission. For lighting equipment, it wanted to allow exemptions, such as light bulbs, incandescent lamps and household lighting equipment. It also added leisure and sports equipment to the toys category.