After today's vote on the recast of the Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), GUE/NGL MEP Sabine Wils said: "I welcome the outcome of today's vote. After two years of hard work, an improved version of WEEE will be adopted. A better scope, higher collection targets and stringent export regulations for electronic products are all welcome standards."

"In recent decades, we have created a throwaway society whose consumption of natural resources was at the expense of poorer countries. WEEE doesn't break this dogma but at least tackles one part of the problem."

"The trouble is that Parliament and Council ensured nanomaterials will be treated as standard products. There are indications that some nanomaterials are highly hazardous to health and that even in the recycling process can be dangerous for the environment", Wils concluded.

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:

David Lundy +32 485 50 58 12

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20

david.lundy@europarl.europa.eu

gabrielle.kavanagh@europarl.europa.eu

European United Left / Nordic Green Left

European Parliamentary Group

www.guengl.eu