The European Parliament has adopted new rules for the design, manufacture, and recycling of all types of batteries sold in the EU.
Battery manufacturers will henceforth be subject to stricter environmental and due diligence requirements if they want to sell on the European market.
The new rules aim to promote a circular economy by regulating all types of batteries, including electric vehicle batteries, throughout their life cycle.
The background to the regulation, which was already approved, are the proposals for mandatory sustainability criteria for batteries that were presented by the European Commission at the end of 2020.
Key points of the EU Battery Regulation in the area of e-mobility are a mandatory declaration and labeling of the carbon footprint for traction batteries of e-vehicles, as well as for batteries of light means of transport such as electric scooters and bicycles, and a digital battery passport for these battery types.
From mid-2024, the passport must indicate the carbon footprint of the batteries from raw material extraction to production and recycling.
The recycling requirements approved are: 50% by 2027 and 80% by 2031 for lithium, and 90% by 2027 and 95% by 2031 for cobalt, copper, lead, and nickel.
These percentages have been set as minimum quantities for materials recovered from spent batteries.
A certain proportion of these recovered substances must be mandatory for use in new batteries.
The mentioned criteria are accompanied by requirements for stricter due diligence for battery stakeholders in the ecological and social areas.
In the future, market participants will have to check the origin of the raw materials they use and the working conditions in their supply chain.
For the first time, the European Union has circular economy legislation that covers the entire life cycle of a product, an approach that is good for both the environment and the economy.
