Midlands industrialists have welcomed a Government announcement to put back a major waste initiative.
Implementation of the WEEE (Waste, Electronic and Electrical Equipment) Directive will be delayed until June 2006.
EEF West Midlands and others have been campaigning for some time for a speedy and effective implementation of the Directive which had already been put back from August this year until January 2006.
In the absence of clear implementation plans from the Government EEF said there was no other option than postponement if companies were to be given the opportunity to understand the full implications of the Directive and make necessary changes to their operations.
Under the Directive, producers of electrical and electronic equipment will be required to recover or recycle a proportion of the equipment they place on the market.
Ian Smith, chief executive for EEF West Midlands, said: "We have been concerned for some time that this legislation would not be ready in time or, worse still, that its implementation would be rushed.
"As such, the Government has taken the only sensible option open to it and this breathing space will give time to plan properly for implementation. In the long term this will give companies more certainty over what their obligations are and how to meet them when the regulations come into force"
Nigel Smith, director of corporate social responsibility for the British Retail Consortium, said: "BRC welcomes the decision to delay the implementation date.
"It is imperative that we get this right the first time round and ensure we have an adequate collection network from day one to effectively comply with retailers' obligations. Over the coming weeks the BRC will be announcing the operator of the retail WEEE compliance scheme who will take responsibility for retail recruitment and the distribution of funds to local authorities to collect WEEE."
John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General said: "The continuing delay in publishing regulations and guidance, with only five months to go, was leaving many firms confused about their obligations and with not enough time to put robust systems in place.
"Today's postponement is definitely the right decision.
"Government departments must heed the lessons of the recent National Audit Office report and devote sufficient time and resource to getting their introduction right."
