In late March 2012, the European Commission (EC) proposed amending the EU Battery Directive 2006/66/EC to abolish the exemption provisions for the use of cadmium-containing batteries in wireless electric tools.
The Battery Directive prohibits the sale of mercury- and cadmium-containing batteries and accumulators to the EU market. Portable batteries and accumulators containing more than 0.002% cadmium by weight, including those housed within electrical appliances, are also prohibited.
However, the directive includes several exemptions, one of which applies to portable batteries and rechargeable batteries used in wireless power tools. The directive requires the European Commission to periodically review this exemption in order to revise the directive based on the latest technical and scientific evidence.
Following extensive consultations between 2010 and 2011, the European Commission stated in its most recent assessment report that, taking into account environmental and economic costs, the aforementioned exemption directive should be lifted in 2016.
The European Commission believes that cadmium-free alternatives, such as nickel-metal hydride batteries and lithium-ion batteries, have emerged in the market, and therefore the phased withdrawal of exemptions should be halted.
The impact assessment found that if the exemption were immediately revoked, the cost of wireless power tools using alternative batteries would increase by €0.80 and €2.10 respectively between 2013 and 2025, depending on whether nickel-metal hydride or lithium-ion batteries are used. The European Commission estimates that the price of wireless power tools would only increase by €0.40 to €0.90 after the exemption is removed.
Therefore, the European Commission has recommended revising the relevant provisions of the Battery Directive to exempt portable batteries and accumulators used in wireless power tools from cadmium content restrictions, effective until January 1, 2016. If the recommendation is adopted, from 2016 onwards, the cadmium content of portable batteries and accumulators used in wireless power tools must not exceed 0.002% of their weight, consistent with the basic upper limit set by the Battery Directive.
Other exemptions listed in the Battery Directive will continue to apply, such as portable batteries and accumulators used in emergency and alarm systems and medical devices.
Sources: European Commission proposal (March 26, 2012) (Compiled by PIDC)
