EU's environmental barriers to Chinese appliances

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 17, 2004

EU's environmental barriers to Chinese appliances

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As learned from China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, Chinese home electric appliance enterprises will be charged an extra payment of garbage recycling for their electronic exports to the EU as two rules of electronic garbage will take effect in the EU in August this year.

According to the EU's two rules drafted recently, Directive on Waste from Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction on Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ROHS) Directive, 1 to 20 euros should be levied on each color TV set or a mobile exported to the EU. The payment will be even higher for some big appliances. In addition, electronic products with six hazardous substances, such as lead and mercury, will not be allowed to get into the EU market. Chinese enterprises must have these substances substituted by environment friendly new materials in their exports to the EU.

It is reported that most Chinese enterprises have not worked out relevant countermeasures so far. Some color TV producers said that as Chinese color TV exports are subject to the EU's quota system of 400,000 units a year, the recent EU's rules will not affect them much. But others argue that as the environmental protection represents the general trend, the government should change the present state of the absence of laws and regulations on electronic waste recycling to make the domestic enterprises keep pace with the world in this realm and reduce relevant barriers. The efforts of enterprises alone are far from enough.

It is learned that recently the National Development and Reform Commission has designated Zhejiang Province and Qingdao City as pilot sites for the national system of disposed appliances and electronic products recycling. Their experience will be used in formulating relevant policies, regulations and standards. Drafting of Management Regulations on Recycling and Treatment of Disposed Appliances and Electronic Products is under way.

Experts in the industry have pointed out China is one of the major victims of electronic wastes because 80 percent of the world's electronic wastes are dumped into Asia and 90 percent of Asia's electronic wastes make their way into China. In this case, the government should work out relevant regulations as soon as possible to control imported electronic wastes and block the way of some foreign companies unloading their electronic wastes on China. The recycling of electronic wastes is very important to the world's environmental protection. Only with right awareness of environmental protection can Chinese enterprises keep abreast with the world and get their exports immune from "environmental barriers" .

By People's Daily Online

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