EU clarifies auto recycling plans.

The European Commission has adopted new provisions laying down minimum levels for the recycling and recovery of the components and materials in new vehicles scrapped in the European Union.

According to Commission, the provisions will apply to all new vehicles placed on the market in the European Union (EU) three years after the adoption of this new directive.

The motor industry in the EU represents 34 percent of world output of motor vehicles. According to the member of the Commission with responsibility for enterprise policy Erkki Liikanen, this "is an important step in the recycling of the parts and materials used in the construction of motor vehicles. I am particularly pleased with this measure, which should allow us, with the help of the motor industry, to achieve the ambitious objectives set for 2015 and do a little more to protect the environment. It is in fact essential for the manufacturers to incorporate recycling right from the development stage in producing new vehicles, and the industry will thereby demonstrate its commitment to producing safer, more environment-friendly vehicles, even if this results in increased production costs. Finally, this will improve the operation of the single market, since these measures will come into force at the same time for all new vehicles put on the road in the European Union."

The directive sets targets for the reuse, recycling and recovery of the parts and materials in end-of-life vehicles. In future, only a very small portion of these materials must find its way to landfills. On the contrary, most of the parts and materials must be reused, recycled or recovered. The minimum percentages to be reached from 2006 onwards are 80 percent for reuse and recycling and 85 percent for reuse and recovery.

These minimum levels are intended to be raised in 2015, when they will be set at 85 percent and 95 percent, respectively.

The targets will be re-examined by the European Parliament and the Council before they are put into effect.

The measures will apply to cars and vans, whether new models or models currently in production, which are placed onto the market three years after the new directive is adopted. This means that they should take effect from 2008 onwards. They will not apply, however, to vehicles with small production runs (less than 500 vehicles per year in each member state) in view of the considerable investment that these SMEs would be required to undertake in order to modify their production.