German Government, Industry Draft Car Recycling Bill

The German government has drawn up a draft bill on car recycling. The draft follows negotiations with the industry. The goal of the bill is to incorporate an existing EU directive within German law by this coming April

According to the German publication Handelsblatt, rules set out in the new draft bill differ substantially from existing regulations governing the disposal of old cars. For example, the last owner of a car registered in Germany will have the right to return the car free of charge to its producer or importer. But for cars currently in use this new rule will only take effect from 2007.

Under the new law, car producers and importers will be obliged to take back and recycle their products. Costs from this will be covered fully by the industry.

The EU directive provided member-states with the option of making the last owner of a car liable for some of these costs. But the German government took the more consumer-friendly option, even though it said that it will entail substantial administrative costs. It also argues with the option of returning a car free of charge to producers or importers.

Rainer Baake, state secretary to the Environment Ministry, identified a further advantage offered by the option selected by the government: it will provide an incentive to carmakers to make their production more recycling-friendly. By 2006, some 85% of parts of an old car must be recyclable. By 2015, the proportion will rise to 95%.

Baake said that companies are free to chose how they would handle the car recycling. He expects most carmakers to outsource this activity. Furthermore, in the interest of consumers, return points for cars would be set up as locally as possible.

A public hearing of the government's proposals is planned for September. The cabinet is to take a decision by the autumn.

Baake said Germany was the first EU member state to have presented proposals on implementing the EU car-recycling directive. He said he expects these proposals to form a basis for deliberations in other member-states. Handelsblatt