20-04-2010 MEP Tannock Concerned about E-Waste

Electronic waste, is a growing problem for developing countries. Computers, washing machines, televisions and other electronic equipment that can no longer be used in Europe are shipped to developing countries (mainly West Africa) as second hand technology or illegally. European e-waste finds its way to open ground dumpsites where people, including children, make a living by removing and selling the very small amounts of raw materials such as copper, without appropriate protection. As a result, hundreds of people experience dramatic health problems and the surrounding land contains highly toxic materials such as high concentrations of lead. Charles Tannock (ECR), on the basis of a BBC television report, is concerned for the populations in Ghana, a destination for large amounts of e-waste.

In 2009 the Commission published the WEEE Directive in which it tackles this problem. Tannock therefore asks whether or not it was supposed to ensure that this kind of situation would not occur any longer, and whether the British Government is in breach of its legal obligations under the directive by not providing dedicated, ring-fenced, financing to UK municipal authorities to cover the cost of disposal of old television sets?

Although the EU has a clear Development Policy with the ultimate goal of eradicating poverty, the Member States make little effort in protecting populations in developing countries from the toxic waste created here. The policies concerning e-waste need to be more coherent with the development policy, on paper and in practice. Tannock is recognized as a fair politician for bringing this issue to the Commission and for striving for more coherence in EU policy.

Parliamentary Question
20 April 2010
E-2477/10
WRITTEN QUESTION by Charles Tannock (ECR)  to the Commission

Subject: Lead poisoning among children in West Africa from disused European television sets

A BBC television news report recently claimed that children and adults in Ghana were suffering from lead poisoning consequent upon the dumping of old and discarded TV sets from the UK. The report claimed that the UK dump sites are charging three or four pounds sterling for disposal, whilst some commercial outfits have been prepared to actually pay small amounts of money to purchase the same sets, which eventually find their way to open ground dumpsites in Ghana where children have been eking out a living by removing the very small amounts of copper found inside each set. As a result, many people have been made ill, with the surrounding land containing very high toxic concentrations of lead.
Will the Commission check with BBC News, the UK Environment Agency and, if necessary, the Ghanaian Government, to establish the veracity of the report?
Will the Commission also indicate whether or not the WEE Directive 2002/95/EC(1) was supposed to ensure that this kind of situation did not occur, and whether the British Government is in breach of its legal obligations under the directive by not providing dedicated, ringfenced, financing to UK municipal authorities to cover the cost of disposal of old television sets?

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