Brussels, 04/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on 2 June, the European Parliament environment committee gave the go-ahead to amendment of the directive applicable to electronic equipment to reduce the amount of toxic substances they contain (Directive 2002/95/EC).
Taking its lead from rapporteur Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France), the committee voted for a re-assessment of a number of very dangerous chemical substances, such as phtalates, PVC and halogenated flame retardants, with a view to their ultimate ban, and for the inclusion of all electric and electronic waste in the legislation. Rivasi was delighted. “Of all the waste generated, waste from electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) is currently the fastest growing. The 9.3 million tonnes created annually in the EU alone are expected to rise to 12.3 million tonnes by 2020. This waste contains highly dangerous substances which can cause dioxides and furans to form if combusted,” she says in a press release.
Solar panels will not be included in the scope of the directive. Amendments seeking to bring all technologies related to renewable energy within the scope of the text were rejected. Such technologies will be excluded until 2014, when a review clause will come into play. Jill Evans (Green, UK) commented that “common sense has prevailed”.
The European Renewable Energy Federation (EREF) did not seek to hide its satisfaction. In a press release, its President Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes said that including renewable energy systems in the scope of a directive on WEEE “would have created another competitive disadvantage for renewable energies”. (A.N./transl.rt)