Brussels,, 23/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - The President of European Commission, Romano Prodi, has written to the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, requesting the suspension of rules regarding can deposits in German, until a system for returned cans is put into place. President Prodi notes that Germany has provided assurances that its mechanism is "compatible" with rules of the internal market. Nevertheless, he is requesting more details and states that if this system turns out to be incompatible with the rules on non-discrimination and free movement of goods, the Commission does not exclude initiating an infringement procedure.
Since last January, Germany has set up a system of compulsory can deposits of 25 cents per can, which can be recovered by consumers when they bring back the empty cans to the shops where they bought them. In principle, a recuperation system for cans will be in place as from 1 October 2003. While waiting, producers and distributors have complained because they consider that this system discriminates against cans imported from other Member States.
By addressing a letter to the German authorities on Wednesday, the Commission chose a way of avoiding a potential conflict with Commissioners for the internal market, Frits Bolkestein, who requested the opening of formal proceedings and the Commissioner for the Environment, Margot Wallström, who was opposed to it (see EUROPE 19 July p 13). She is also replying to Chancellor Schröder, who wrote to Romano Prodi, to ask him that the Commission does not open up any procedures