Final Word from Wednesday, June 14, 2006
As they were courting Hyundai, Czech officials denied that the CR could become too dependent on car production. Almost as if to prove their point, lawmakers passed a bill that removes the ban as of July 1 on imports from the EU of used cars more than eight years old. More used-car imports will mean fewer new-car sales and a decline in dependence on domestic car production. At first glance, it appeared that used-car importers were behind the removal of the eight-year limit. More likely, though, is lobbying from carmakers in the EU-15. They're subject to the End-of-Life Vehicle Directive, which requires them to take back old cars. Shipping these environmental hazards off to the CR or Poland is cheaper than scrapping them at home. In some cases, the scrap charge might be more than the margin on the sale of a new car in Central Europe. So, the CR will not only be a new-car mecca, but also a wreck paradise. Nothing like diversification.[Czech Republic recycling European Union automobiles]