The European Commission issued the proposal on the Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries, repealing Directive 2006/66/EC and amending Regulation (EU) No 2019/1020 in December 2020. This proposal is aimed to create a legal framework that allows to cover such aspects as electrochemical performance and durability, GHG emissions, or responsible sourcing during the full life cycle of batteries. The existing legislation covers only the end-of-life stage of batteries.  

The proposed Regulation contains 13 chapters and annexes that contain such information as:

• Sustainability and safety requirements with restrictions on the use of hazardous substances in batteries, in particular mercury and cadmium, and rules on the carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries and rechargeable industrial batteries;
• Labelling and information requirements;
• Rules on the conformity assessment of batteries;
• Obligations of economic operators;
• Obligations relating to the end-of-life management of batteries;
• Green public procurement where it is necessary to give information considering the environmental impacts of batteries over their life-cycle with a view to ensure that such impacts are kept to a minimum.

The document is now at the stage of the first reading. However, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has already expressed its opinion. The EESC agrees on many provisions of the proposal, but it comes up with an initiative to determine specific functional governance instruments and arrangements that will make it possible to realize all the measures established in the new regulation.

The full text of the Proposal, you can find here.

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The information has been prepared by the GMA Consult Group team. ‍

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