Batteries – Photo by Hilary Halliwell from Pexels
(BRUSSELS) – MEPs in committee called Thursday for stronger sustainability, performance and labelling requirements for batteries, as well as more stringent targets for waste collection and recycling efficiency.
The new measures for batteries are seen as crucial for the transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy and for EU’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy, said Environment Committee MEPs.
“For the first time in European legislation, the Battery Regulation lays down a holistic set of rules to govern an entire product life cycle, from the design phase to end-of-life,” said rapporteur Simona Bonafe MEP: “This creates a new approach to boost the circularity of batteries and introduces new sustainability standards that should become a benchmark for the entire global battery market.”
MEPs agreed with the Commission’s approach to overhaul current legislation to take into account technological developments and amended provisions in several areas, including the introduction of a new category of “batteries for ‘light means of transport’ (LMT)”, such as e-bikes.
MEPs backed the proposed rules on a carbon footprint declaration and label, a maximum value for the life cycle carbon footprint, as well as minimum levels of recovered cobalt, lead, lithium and nickel from waste for reuse in new batteries. By 2024, portable batteries in appliances, such as smartphones, and batteries for LMT must be designed for easy and safe removal and replacement by consumers or independent operators. MEPs also insist on the need to assess the feasibility of introducing standards for common chargers for a variety of rechargeable batteries.
MEPs want all economic operators placing any batteries on the EU market to comply with requirements addressing risks around the sourcing, processing and trading of raw materials, chemicals and secondary raw materials, which are often concentrated in one or a few countries. MEPs want the battery industry to follow internationally recognised due diligence standards across their entire value chain.
In the report, MEPs call for more stringent collection targets for portable batteries (70% by 2025, compared to the Commission’s original proposal of 65%; and 80% by 2030 instead of 70%). They also introduce minimum collection rates for LMT batteries (75% by 2025 and 85% by 2030). All waste automotive, industrial and electric vehicle batteries must be collected.
The report is expected to be adopted by plenary in March and will constitute Parliament’s negotiation position with EU governments on the final shape of the legislation.
Commission proposal for a regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries
Further information, European Parliament
