EU Warns Nations to Impose Battery Recycling Rules

The European Union has threatened legal action against member nations who fail to impose rules for collecting and recycling batteries which are due to come into force this month.

The rules impose targets for collecting old batteries to limit pollution caused when they are incinerated or buried in leaky landfill sites. However, only seven of the 27 EU countries have written them into national legislation.

The EU’s Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "The revision of the Batteries Directive represents another important step towards our goal of making Europe into a recycling society. By setting collection targets and requiring recycling, this legislation will also help to protect the health of European citizens and contribute to making consumption and production in the EU more sustainable. Those Member States that have not yet transposed it should do so without delay."

The revised directive aims to avoid the final disposal of batteries in the environment by enhancing collection and recycling. It also contains restrictions on the use of some heavy metals. The key changes it introduces are:

Requirements governing the collection or take-back of all types of batteries and setting national collection targets for portable batteries. These require the collection of at least 25 percent of the portable batteries used annually in each Member State by 2012, rising to 45% by 2016.

A requirement that all batteries collected must be recycled (with possible exemptions for portable hazardous batteries).

Restrictions on the use of mercury in all batteries and on the use of cadmium in portable batteries.

A ban on the landfilling or incineration of automotive and industrial batteries.

A requirement that recycling processes for different types of batteries must meet specified efficiency levels.

A requirement that, in line with the principle of producer responsibility, battery producers have to finance the costs of the collection, treatment and recycling of waste batteries.In a statement, the European Commission said it would take legal action any nation that did not "remedy the situation rapidly."

So far only Estonia, Spain, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria and Slovenia, have implemented the new rules, said EU spokeswoman Barbara Helfferich. Ireland, Lithuania, Poland and Finland say they are close to doing so.

The new rules impose targets for collecting defunct batteries ranging from regular AA batteries to those used in mobile phones and laptops. By 2012, a quarter of all batteries sold must be collected once they run out and recycled. By 2016, the target will rise to 45 percent.

Distributors will be required to take used batteries and accumulators back at no charge. The rules also determine how batteries must be recycled once collected. Use of mercury and cadmium in batteries is restricted under the rules and dumping car and industrial batteries in landfill sites is banned.

The EU's high court can impose hefty daily fines on nations that fail to implement European laws.