US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA1143

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Identifier:	04BRATISLAVA1143
Wikileaks:	View 04BRATISLAVA1143 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Bratislava
Created:	2004-12-21 16:13:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	EIND ETRD SENV LO EUN
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 001143 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR OES/EGC, EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EIND, ETRD, SENV, LO, EUN 
SUBJECT:  SLOVAK RESPONSE TO BATTERY DIRECTIVE 
 
REF:  STATE 259043 
 
1.  Per reftel, On December 7 Econoff delivered questions 
about the EU's battery directive to Peter Gallovic, Director 
of Waste Management at the Ministry of Environment.  On 
December 21, Gallovic reported that the GOS supports the new 
proposal of the Council Chairmanship to introduce a partial 
ban of cadmium in batteries.  They further agree with the 
proposed ban of batteries that contain more than 0.0005 
percent of their weight in mercury.  Slovakia does not have 
a special collection system in place for portable batteries, 
though the law does state that they must be separated from 
normal household trash. 
 
2.  The GOS supports the proposal to set the collection 
limits at 20 percent after four years and 35 or 40 percent 
after seven years.  Conversely, the GOS does not support the 
proposal to incorporate long-term collection targets at the 
10 year mark.  As for financing the collection, Gallovic 
stated that they support paragraph 20 of the current 
proposal which stipulates that third parties would cover all 
costs associated with collection, administration, and 
recycling of batteries.  Finally, the GOS has not performed 
any local impact studies. 
 
THAYER 
 
 
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