The initial costs incurred by the pool, including value added tax, are to be divided among the member manufacturers and importers in proportion to their shares of the previous year's sales, measured by weight of batteries sold broken down by system and type. The pool may require appropriate advances from its members. Payment of contributions is to be administered by an independent accounting unit in such a way that confidential information supplied by members is not divulged to other members. In product lists offered to traders, original equipment customers, and other customers, manufacturers and importers are to show their current disposal costs by individual battery system and type. The disposal costs shown by the individual manufacturer or importer in product lists or offers to traders, original equipment customers and other customers are to form an integral part of the price of the battery.
Invoices are to show the disposal costs, for information, on a separate line.
Only one figure is to be given here per delivery, regardless of the kinds of battery ordered by the trader. This means that the cost is not to be presented in the form of a fixed charge or levy. The trader is to be free to set the end price to the consumer taking account of the price charged by the supplier for disposal and recovery. The manufacturers and importers undertake to take back, without charge and without requiring prior sorting, all spent batteries returned by consumers to traders. Sorting The manufacturers undertake to play an active part in the development, testing and realisation of economically-viable sorting processes and plant for the separation of the various sizes and battery systems, and at the very least to be ready to advise the specialised firms involved.