LONDON, UK, June 21, 2002 (ENS) - Final owners, and not manufacturers, of cars put on the market before July 1 will have to pay for their disposal until 2007, the UK government confirmed today.

Under the directive, aimed at 95 percent reuse or recovery of end-of-life vehicles by 2015, manufacturers must pay takeback and recovery costs for vehicles on the market from July 1, 2002, and for all vehicles from 2007.

Traffic waits to move at a UK crossroads. (Photo courtesy Freefoto.com)

Today's announcement "will ensure that a broadly level playing field is maintained with other main car-producing EU countries, such as France and Germany," the UK government said.

In line with the directive, vehicle manufacturers and importers will have to meet the takeback and treatment costs of vehicles sold from next month "as soon as regulations to that effect can be introduced."

Like many other European Union Member States, the UK is still a way off transposing the directive, despite a legal deadline for this having passed on April 21.

The announcement was welcomed by UK car manufacturers' association the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. But a spokesman warned that it is imperative to put the right recycling infrastructure in place to ensure recycling costs are kept as low as possible, if the UK is to compete with the rest of the European Union.

{Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd, London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk}