The European Parliament adopted by 624 votes to 67, with 6 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles, 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators, and 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment.
The matter was referred back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations. The vote on the legislative resolution was postponed to later session.
Parliament stressed that effective and sustainable circular economy requires the removal of hazardous substances from products at the design stage and in this context circular economy and on the importance of encouraging the effective and low energy consumption management of secondary raw materials. Once recycled material re-enters the economy as it receives end-of-waste status, it is required to be fully compliant with Union chemicals legislation.
Sound and reliable: the proposed amendments aim to improve the quality of the data by, inter alia, providing that the data communicated by the Member States to the Commission in accordance with Directive 2006/66 / EC on batteries and accumulators shall be accompanied by a quality check report.
The Commission should also develop, through delegated acts, a common methodology for the collection, organisation and processing of data based on reliable sources in order to guarantee the comparability and quality of data.
Evaluation reports: in the reports examining the data collection, the Commission may include information about the implementation of the Directives as a whole and their impact on the environment and human health. If appropriate, legislative proposals to amend this Directive shall accompany the reports.
Review of the Directives: by 31 December 2018, in the context of the circular economy action plan, the Commission shall review the three Directives concerned as a whole and in particular their scope and targets, based on an impact assessment. The Commission shall also examine the possibility of setting resource specific targets, in particular for critical raw materials. That review shall be accompanied by a legislative proposal, if appropriate.
Instruments to promote a shift to a more circular economy: in order to contribute to the objectives laid down in the amended Directives, Member States shall make use of adequate economic instruments and shall take other measures to provide incentives for the application of the waste hierarchy as laid down in Directive 2008/98/EC.
Planned obsolescence: given that is an expanding issue, intrinsically contradictory with the goals of a circular economy, Members suggested that it addressed with the objective of rooting it out, through a concerted effort of all main stakeholders, industry, customers and regulatory authorities.