Brussels, 07/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission decided to send a reasoned opinion to Germany because its legislation on the recycling of bottles does not comply with the "packaging" Directive. The European executive feels that the German legislation is disproportionate" compared to its environmental aims and that it is contrary to the aspects of the "packaging Directive" compared linked to the free movement of good in the EU. The problem is that German legislation forces that producers of mineral water to reuse their bottles and thus have to cover large distances back to the spring with the empty bottles, which, according to the Commission Communiqué "risks leading to higher environment impacts than if one-way containers are used." In this case (know as the "Töpfer case" after the Minister who got the German law adopted) concerns mineral water, but the Commission does not exclude reserves the right to consider, the compatibility of German packaging legislation with Community law for other bottles, "for example wine," indicates the Communiqué.