Early feedback suggests the EU Council of Ministers is unlikely to accept the European Parliament’s proposal to increase the battery recycling rate from 50% to 55% under the new battery directive. Ministers are also expected to dismiss proposals for: ‘closed loop’ management of waste lead and cadmium from industrial and rechargeable batteries; a ban on the landfilling of all batteries; and mandatory take-back of spent batteries by distributors.
A recent report suggests the Council of Ministers will be pushing for the possible exclusion of smaller battery manufacturers from the EU directive’s producer responsibility requirements. By contrast, Members of the European Parliament have called for all producers to contribute towards financing waste treatment.
