Malta remains the last member state to implement the WEEE Directive

To date the WEEE Directive although transposed to Maltese Law by Legal Notice 63 of 2007 way back, it has remained on the shelf and is still not being implemented. GRTU on behalf of the Business Community demands an explanation, a serious explanation as to why Government has lingered and lingered and shelved the implementation of this Directive.

Is it because Government stands to lose Euro 8million income? Is it because for reasons known to Government only, the private business community is not able to take over responsibility? Or is there more than meets the eye in this matter?

Where is all this Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment being stored? What happens then? How large is our WEEE mountian? Is there anyone making money behind the scenes in this issue? Who will provide the answers to these questions?

And in addition, where is the EU DG Environment in this matter? Asleep too or have we been providing the Community with a better picture, a rosy picture which has been invented by some crafty geek? No wonder, Government remains silent on this issue. If the European Community is not budging, why should Government? Could it be that there is an infringement notice hidden in a drawer somewhere? Could it be that were telling the nerds in the European Community that were exporting our WEEE back to the Community? If yes what amounts have been exported, where and to whom and by whom in the last five years?

A WEEE mountain exists in Malta to create a number of green jobs,that is if Government knows what green jobs are, as we fail to realize why a Directive that could have created an additional number of jobs has remained in the doldrums. Six years ago we had an obligation to recover 4kg per capita. Now after a wide ranging revision of the WEEE directive, the EU has placed an onus of 65% recovery and recycling by 2016. This is a reality and we are running away from it. Government is too busy being reactive to situations instead of proactive.

Why did we waste so much funds on sending Officials and other stake holders and Ministers to the EU to be a part of a discussion in the revision of the EU Directive, when we have as yet not even gone the first step? Is it a waste of public funds?

GRTU firmly believes that the business community has been taken for a ride for the last six years over this issue. Will the Electoral Manifesto include the implementation of WEEE? Will the Opposition make this issue one of its environmental priorities? Choices need to be made now not later and this issue has become the laughing stock of town. GRTU will no longer ask Government to stand up and be counted on this issue. We will only say that Government has failed miserably towards the business community and also its citizens at large. That is the real truth!