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Commercial
Information Circulars
24-hour hotline : 23 922 922
e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Ref : EIC 230/2/11
29
September 2006
Dear Sirs,
Commercial
Information Circular No. 386/2006
European
Union (EU)* : Controls on the Marketing and Disposal
of
Batteries and Accumulators
The European Parliament
and the Council of the EU have adopted a Directive to control the marketing
and disposal of batteries and accumulators. The aim of the Directive
is to minimise the negative impact of batteries and accumulators on
the environment. Details are set out in Directive 2006/66/EC (the Directive),
copy (pdf format) of which is attached
to this circular for reference.
DETAILS
- The Directive
prohibits the placing on the market of batteries and accumulators
containing hazardous substances and specifies rules for the labelling,
collection, treatment, recycling and disposal of batteries and accumulators.
Provisions affecting Hong Kong producers or exporters include:
- the placing
on the market of all batteries or accumulators containing more than
0.0005% of mercury by weight (except button cells with a mercury
content of no more than 2% by weight), and portable batteries or
accumulators containing more than 0.002% of cadmium by weight (except
those being used in emergency and alarm systems, medical equipment
or cordless power tools) are prohibited;
- appropriate
collection schemes should be in place for waste batteries and accumulators.
It should not involve any charge to end-users but can be run in
conjunction with the schemes for waste electrical and electronic
equipment. Producers should finance the costs arising from these
schemes.
- manufacturers
should design appliances in a way that waste batteries and accumulators
can be readily removed. Instructions showing how they can be removed
should accompany the appliances;
- producers should
set up schemes to provide for the treatment and recycling of waste
batteries and accumulators. Detailed treatment and recycling requirements
are set out in Annex III to the Directive;
- producers
of batteries and accumulators should be registered. However, producers
of small quantities could be exempted; and
- a symbol indicating
"separate collection" should be marked on all batteries,
accumulators and battery packs in a visible, legible and indelible
form as specified in the Directive.
- Member States
are required to bring into force their national laws, regulations
and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive
by 26 September 2008.
ENQUIRIES
- For enquiries
about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned
at telephone number 2398 5500.
Yours faithfully,
(K H NG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry
* The
EU includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
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Electronic
services for Production Notification and Certificate of Origin
enable traders to make the relevant applications directly through
their office computer faster and easier. Electronic service has
now been extended to the submission of Cargo Manifests and Textiles
Notifications. For details and enquiries,
please call the following service providers:
Global
e-Trading Services Limited (Tel. : 8109 1820)
Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited (Tel. : 2599 1700)
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Note : While
every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information,
the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable
for any reliance placed on the same.
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