Lange (PSE). – (DE) Madam President, Commissioner Wallström, we are indeed using more batteries, and that is causing us problems. Firstly, we want to make batteries environmentally friendly to use, and secondly we do not want them to make our waste problem worse than it is. This in fact means that we need a strategy that ensures that as few batteries as possible are landfilled, and secondly we must see to it that innovations are made in battery production.

I therefore also support the Commission’s approach of including all batteries in the legislation and of ensuring there is producer responsibility in battery production. I also agree with the many compromises we have reached together with the aim of making the collection and recycling of batteries better organised so that our waste problem will actually be reduced.

There are a variety of opinions in the House about how to encourage innovation and avoid heavy metals. The important thing is that we send the signal that we want batteries that do not harm the environment, do not contain heavy metals and are easy to recycle. Parliament must send this signal clearly so that the battery industry will innovate. That can of course also be done using various deposit schemes, with a higher deposit charged on hazardous battery systems than on the others. In the end, however, the consumer must also play his part.