Statement on the new EU Battery Regulation

9 August 2023 by
laurenz.kuijpers

EUCOBAT welcomes the new batteries and waste batteries Regulation, which establishes a comprehensive legal framework for all types of batteries across their entire lifecycle within the European Union.

  • Enabling Sustainable Development: Batteries play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable development, green mobility, clean energy, and climate neutrality. EUCOBAT applauds the Regulation for contributing to the objectives of the EU Green Deal with its focus on circularity and the whole battery lifecycle.
  • New Categories adapted to the new Market: In addition to the portable battery category, the Regulation has now introduced additional new categories that reflect market developments, such as batteries used in Light Means of Transport (LMT) and for Electric Vehicles (EV); the previous Automotive category has evolved to Starting, Lighting and Ignition (SLI) batteries. EUCOBAT appreciates these new classifications, as they will ensure clarity and facilitate appropriate waste management processes for each type. 
  • Economic Operator Responsibilities: EUCOBAT welcomes the retained definition of producers in the Regulation, which brings clarity to the responsibilities of economic operators within the battery industry. Moreover, the balance of a regulatory text based on a dual legal basis will guarantee an appropriate implementation of the principle of extended producer responsibility.
  • Ambitious Collection Goals: The establishment of ambitious collection targets for waste portable batteries and LMT batteries is crucial for achieving raw material circularity and reducing European dependencies on third countries amid growing global demand. EUCOBAT Members are committed to achieving these goals, nevertheless, targets must be realistic and feasible.
  • Adaptive Market Measures: The Regulation takes market developments and technological advancements, such as longer lifespans of LMT and portable batteries, into account, by empowering the European Commission (EC) to amend the methodology to calculate the collection rate of waste batteries based on the volumes available for collection. EUCOBAT stands ready to support the EC for the development of the methodology for a successful implementation of the Regulation.
  • Enhanced Information and Clarity: The introduction of labelling and information requirements, including carbon footprint declarations, labels for EV batteries, LMT batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity exceeding 2kWh, as well as the introduction of an electronic battery passport and QR code, will provide economic operators throughout the value chain with easy access to information and data on individual batteries. This will empower them to make better-informed choices in their planning activities.