EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IS SEEKING LEAD BAN

Proposal under way to phase out lead by 2015. Jan Kappel reports…

The European Parliament is seeking to ban the use of lead in recreational fishing equipment by 2015, writes EFTTA lobbyist Jan Kappel.

On 22 May, the Parliament voted to substantially increase an existing list of toxic substances governed by EU laws on water quality.

Parliament also voted to upgrade a number of these substances to a higher category of toxicity, which would require member states to phase-out their use of lead entirely by 2015.

The move is a step backwards from July last year, when the EU Commission did not include lead in its new measures for dealing with ‘priority’ and ‘priority hazardous’ substances.

But the European Parliament now wants to see a change to that. The Parliament suggests lead and a number of other substances to be ‘subject to a review for identification as a possible “priority hazardous substance”‘.

EFTTA lobbyist, Jan Kappel, said: “The Commission is requested to make a proposal to the Parliament and the Council for its final classification. If the Council agrees fully with the Parliament then EU Member States will be required to phase-out the use of lead entirely by 2015.

“The Commission is fully aware that lead disposal from angling is very, very small compared to the total of lead waste. And the Commission is fully aware that the relatively small amount of lost lead sinkers don’t present much of a ‘hazardous’ to the environment. But this is politics.”

Anyone who wants to avoid a ban of lead in angling tackle should talk to their national environment ministry and minister. But members of the EU Committee on Fisheries are all in favour of a ban.

They agreed: ‘Lead, used in fishing equipment for both recreational and professional fisheries, is a source of water pollution. In order to reduce the level of lead in fishing waters, Member States should encourage the fishing sector to replace lead by less hazardous alternatives.’

Added Jan Kappel: “Most likely it would be a waste of time – and too late – to try and educate the MEPs on this highly emotional issue.”

The Council will vote on the Parliament’s first reading in a forthcoming meeting.

Janet Doyle, EFTTA General Manager, said that EFTTA encourages members to consider the use of lead alternatives but warned that an EU-wide ban would translate into costs in production, operations and administration for its members.