Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2004
932 Mr. McHugh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce regulations governing the labelling of bottles, containers etc. to ensure that all labels are easily removable to facilitate the collection and recycling of the products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1320/04]
View answerArticle 9 of European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste provides that packaging may not be placed on the market within the European Union unless it satisfies the provisions of the directive, that is, it complies with the essential requirements on the composition and the reusable and recoverable nature of packaging as provided for in annex II of the directive. In this regard, annex II of the directive explicitly provides that packaging shall be designed, produced and placed on the market in such a way as to permit its reuse or recovery, including recycling. The essential requirements are transposed into national law under the combined provisions of article 24 of, and the Third Schedule to the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2003. In effect, there is already a general obligation on producers to use easily removable labels on bottles, jars and other containers to facilitate the recycling of the relevant packaging materials after use. It is not proposed to make further regulations in this regard.
