EU ambassadors voted yesterday in favor of a bill that would force automakers to take back old cars and pay for the cost of recycling or reusing them, overriding opposition from Germany. The bill, which still needs approval from the EU parliament, would cover all cars produced in 2001 or later. By 2006, automakers would be required to take back all old cars, no matter when they were built, and recycle or reuse 80 percent of car weight. This compromise measure is a watered-down version of an earlier draft bill that was blocked last month, but the auto industry still argues that it is unfair and too costly.
