Brussels, 08/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has been accused by a European company of opening the EU market to TV screens containing cadmium, despite the EU legislation in force and in defiance once again of the European Parliament.
Nanoco, which is based in Manchester (UK), is a global leader in the development and manufacture of cadmium-free quantum dots. It warned on Monday 5 October that the company TVP, under the Philips brand, is about, later this month, to introduce LCD (liquid crystal display) screens containing cadmium onto the European market.
This comes even though, by virtue of Directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electric and electronic equipment, the use of cadmium, a carcinogenic heavy metal, was authorised in the EU only until 1 July 2014.
Nanoco is outraged. It accused the Commission of preferring to launch a new third party re-assessment on its proposal to extend the use of cadmium in lighting and TV screens until June 2016 rather than accept the overwhelming vote of the European Parliament in May of this year to reject the proposal (see EUROPE 11356).
“The Commission's high-handed and complete disregard for MEPs is breath-taking. Not only is cadmium one of the most toxic of heavy metals, but there is no consumer demand for cadmium-based products, especially given that non-toxic alternatives are readily available. An official petition with the Parliament petition committee has been launched to challenge the Commission on its refusal to comply with the EP resolution”, states Michael Edelman, chief executive of the Nanoco group. He argues further: “The Commission's policy sets a bad precedent for innovative companies developing heavy metal-free consumer products, frustrating their expectations and powers of innovation and funding”.
The Commission proposal sought to authorise extension of the use of cadmium in lighting and TV screens by delegated act and by way of derogation from Directive 2011/65/EU. In voting against the proposal, MEPs highlighted that alternatives already exist and that a range of TVs using cadmium-free quantum dot technology is readily available on the EU market from very well-known retailers. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)
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