| Report
of the activities of EUROMETREC
presented during the BIR
Convention in Milan
24th October 2005
EUROMETREC is a daughter organisation to BIR,
representing the national member federations of
the European Union (EU) member states in the relation
to the various EU authorities and organisations.
The
Brussels secretariat of EUROMETREC has during
the last six months continued to monitor legislative
matters at the EU Commission and the European
Parliament level. To “monitor” means
to regularly check whether new or revised draft
legislation could affect our sector, to analyse
the possible impacts, to inform our member associations
and to send comments and have meetings with the
responsible E.U. officer.
Among the issues which required our input let’s
mention REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation
of CHemicals), the new “registration”
rules for scrap operators and transporters in
China but also in Netherlands and Italy, the implementation
of the WEEE directive, the Thematic strategy of
recycling and minimisation of waste, and the proposed
revision of the EU Waste shipment regulation.
With respect to shipments of “mixed green
waste” the situation is still unclear and
many EU exporters have problems with their authorities
particularly in Belgium and Holland, where a national
judge has decided to bring the matter to the European
Court of Justice through a prejudicial question.
Exports of cables and wires are seriously affected,
especially to China. According to the Chinese
SEPA, mixed cables and wires can be freely exported
as long as there is a license, if the exporter
is AQSIQ registered and if he has a CCIC certificate.
The Brussels office has assisted the members of
EUROMETREC in this matter, but many of the “official”
documents are only in Chinese and there is a lack
of goodwill from the EU authorities, which are
reluctant to accept an informal translation of
the texts. We know that the EU consumers do not
like scrap exports because the materials escape
the EU recycling facilities but we have to defend
total FREE Trade as long as it is fair.
The producers’ responsibility principle
must also require all our attention as our business
could progressively be taken over by other groups.
It is particularly true in the case of the, so-called
WEEE-directive, i.e. Waste from Electrical and
Electronic Equipment. This directive was implemented
in most of the EU member states during august
this year. Our industry has to be very alert to
these new systems and adjust to these new markets.
With respect to the latest proposals from the
European Parliament on the revised draft shipment
regulations, are EUROMETREC very active and supporting
the executive directors of our member associations
to discuss these important regulations with each
country’s national member of the European
Parliament. EUROMETREC are, and will even more
in the future be concerned about our relationship
with EUROMETAUX, the European body of our customers,
the Non-Ferrous Metals works. It is important
for the total industry that we share our views
and as often as possible act together in the relationship
with the various EU authorities and organisations.
Finally, it is important to stress that EUROMETREC
is well aware of the fact that we all are part
of a world market and we will always defend FREE
and FARE TRADE.
Thank you …
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