European NGOs “firmly reject the proposed update to the voluntary agreement”
July 19, 2021
In comments published on 5 July, European NGOs said they “firmly reject the proposed update to the voluntary agreement on imaging equipment and expect the Commission to propose a dedicated regulatory measure without delay in line with the commitments set out in the Circular Economy Action Plan.”
Ecos, CoolProducts, European Environmental Bureau, Right to Repair and iFixIt Europe have published their comments on the proposed update to the industry voluntary agreement on imaging equipment.
The group of NGOs is calling for regulatory measures and “that no more time should be wasted on the flawed voluntary agreement”.
The groups estimate is that out of about 650,000 tonnes of ewaste created, some 200,000 tonnes account for end-of-life printer and cartridges. The Group said: “Urgent regulatory action is needed to address the short-lived, unrepairable designs of printers as well as the widespread commercial practices that prevent the reuse and remanufacture of printer consumables.”
The group added: “The proposed text of the VA fails to address the critical issues identified previously and is unlikely to have any positive impact on the sustainability of printing devices. Endorsing the proposed update would therefore not only go entirely against the objectives of the European Green Deal and the forthcoming Sustainable Products Initiative but would also set the tone for the unacceptably low level of ambition for other products.
“The present paper contains an extensive list of concerns associated with the proposed VA by the environmental stakeholders.”
Categories : World Focus
Tags : European Commission NGOs Right to Repair Voluntary Agreement
