15/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - By following its rapporteur, German Christian-Democrat Karl-Heinz Florenz, the European Parliament voted on Tuesday (on first reading, according to the co-decision procedure) in favour of a tightening of draft directives on the limit to the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and on the waste of electrical and electronic equipment. In particular, the European Parliament wants an annual collection rate for this waste of at least 6 kilos per person, and in a binding manner, whereas the European Commission proposed 4 kilos per person, and in a non-binding manner. Other important amendments approved in plenary, those aimed at calling for the directive on waste to take effect thirty months after its adoption, and not in 2005-2006 (my children ask me: why do you go to Brussels to defend something that takes so long? remarked Mr. Florenz in the debate) and to increase the percentage of substances that must be reused. It's as simple as that - "old razors must not end up in the bin", exclaimed Mr. Florenz during the debate, launching an appeal for consumers to be made responsible, as well as producers. EUROPE will return to this vote.