Batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators: implementing powers conferred on the Commission

PURPOSE: to adjust Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators so as to include, when appropriate, references to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission, has been amended by Council Decision 2006/512/EC of 17 July 2006. Article 5a of the amended Decision introduces a new regulatory procedure with scrutinyto be used for measures of general scope which seek to amend non-essential elements of a basic instrument, adopted under co-decision, including by deleting some of those elements or by supplementing the instrument by the addition of new non-essential elements.

Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators and repealing Directive 91/157/EEC was subject to third reading agreement by the co-legislators just prior to the entry into force of the new comitology decision (see CNS/2002/0298).The Directive entered into force following publication in the Official Journal on 26 September 2006and needs now to be adjusted so as to include, when appropriate, references to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny.