Press Releases.

19th December 2000

EFR founds European Shredder Group: A common strategy is vital for European shredder operations

On 18th December 2000, the European Ferrous Recovery and Recycling Federation EFR (Brussels) announced the creation of a European Shredder Group, which will represent the interests of the European shredder operators in the light of the implementation of the European Directive on End-of-Life-Vehicles (ELVs). This decision was taken during a special meeting organised to discuss the forthcoming directive and the future role of the shredder sector as one of the major stakeholders in the management of ELVs.

Under the chairmanship of Anthony P. Bird OBE (SimsMetal UK) who is Chairman of EFR's ELV Committee, national federation representatives from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom unanimously agreed on a common strategy to defend the European shredder sector.

The European Shredder Group (ESG) will consider all issues affecting the shredder operation and collect and exchange data on operating costs, legislation matters, new technology and research, etc. Its scope will not be limited to ELVs but will encompass any kind of feedstock material for shredders and media & metal separation plants.

There will be a close liaison with car manufacturers and dismantlers in view of the European Directive on ELVs, which was adopted in September 2000 and which will have to be implemented by EU member states by April 2002. The directive aims at the environmentally sound disposal of ELVs, with imposed recovery targets of at least 85% (with 80% reuse/recycling) to be reached until 2006, and of at least 95% (with 85% reuse/recycling) until 2015.

The European recycling industry, with its more than 200 European shredder operators and over 40 media & metal separation plants, annually processes over 9 million cars, which represent more than 90% of all ELVs, with a current recycling and recovery rate of up to 80% of their material.

EFR is a European sister association of the international recycling federation Bureau of International Recycling, of which it shares the headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

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30th June 2000

EFR - EUROFER JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Discussion Paper on "When Waste Ceases to be Waste - The Case of Ferrous Scrap" now published

EUROFER, the European Confederation of Iron and Steel Industries, and EFR, the European Ferrous Recovery and Recycling Federation, have announced today that they have published a joint discussion paper on when waste ceases to be waste for ferrous scrap. Both organisations stress that this clarification is of crucial significance.

Over the last 25 years, Europe has recognised the importance of using recovered materials for the conservation of natural resources. Since 1991, the Council of Ministers has urged EU Member States to 'take appropriate measures to encourage the recovery of waste by means of recycling, re-use or reclamation or any other process with a view to extracting secondary raw materials'. At the same time, waste was defined as 'any substance or object which the holder discards or is required to discard'.

Although the recognition of secondary raw materials is enshrined in European Union law, the contradiction lies in the fact that across Europe, it has never been clarified unambiguously and clearly from which moment onwards waste becomes a secondary raw material.

However, the advantages of such a clarification would be considerable because it would lead to an optimised process for iron recovery from iron and steel scrap and would thereby increase the industry's competitiveness by alleviating the cost burden associated with waste.

Over the past 10 years, many studies were concluded, parliamentary questions raised and resolutions passed, supporting the need to determine the point at which recovery has taken place. The Symposium organised by the Bureau of International Recycling in February 1999 and the EU Recycling Forum, conducted through 1999, supported a case-by-case approach as proposed by the European Commission.

As a result of these industry efforts, the Technical Adaptation Committee of Member States representatives chaired by the European Commission has been working on the issue since the beginning of this year with a mandate to develop a clarification of the waste/non-waste distinction for metal scrap. Industry has provided the committee with information to help progress this case-by-case analysis.

To facilitate the political decision, the industries concerned have developed a comprehensive information package for the committee. Materials deemed controversial enough to block a political agreement were taken out, and the focus was put on a European solution for ferrous scrap. Now, EUROFER and EFR strongly encourage the Technical Adaptation Committee to proceed towards a conclusion.

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For Further Information contact:

Elisabeth Christ, Press & Media Relations
Phone: +32 2 627 5770
Fax: +32 2 627 5773