US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE3280

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 003280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE  PASS TO PENELOPE NAAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EIND, ETRD, SENV, NL, EUN 
SUBJECT:  REPLY, UNITED STATES CONCERN OVER THE EU BATTERY DIRECTIVE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 259043 
 
1.  In response to reftel, the Netherlands, in its role as EU Preside 
proposed amendments to the EU Battery Directive ("Directive").  As a 
government advocates an unqualified ban on all portable cadmium, merc 
 
2. The Dutch already have a collection system in place for small chem 
Collection bins are located in supermarkets, stores, schools and offi 
batteries at "Chem-cars," collection vans reminiscent of ice cream tr 
municipalities while playing music as a clarion call to small waste c 
supplement the national collection system with their own systems. 
 
3. The Netherlands has set collection targets at ninety per cent of a 
batteries represent the sum of collected and discarded batteries.  A 
and Environment (VROM) official told EmbassyOff the Netherlands is no 
one per cent collection rate. 
 
4. In the Netherlands, the 1995 Batteries Management Decree ("Decree" 
batteries weighing 1000 grams or less by battery manufacturers and im 
battery manufacturers and importers subsidize all collection activity 
products containing easily changeable batteries or separate batteries 
manufacturers and importers" under the Decree and are required to col 
nonprofit organization, implements the battery collection and recycli 
compliance. 
 
5.  The Netherlands has not conducted an assessment of the Directive' 
appliance and battery manufacturers because -- as a VROM official exp 
of the variety of batteries proscribed by the proposed EP ban in the 
 
SOBEL