European Council, Battery Regulation final approval 12 July 2023 1

New European battery regulation also overcame the hurdle European Council. Following approval by the European Parliament in mid-June, the European Council adopted a new regulation that tightens sustainability standards for batteries and battery waste, regulating the entire life cycle of batteries, from production to reuse and recycling.

The vote of the European Council completes the procedure for approving the new regulation, which will now be signed by the Council and the European Parliament. The text will then be published in the Official Gazette and enter into force in 20 days.

The new regulation came at a time when investment in batteries is on the rise with the goal of significantly increasing production through the construction of new factories to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles. The European Union estimates that demand for batteries will grow more than tenfold by 2030. The new regulation, first proposed by the European Commission in 2020, will replace the 2006 rules.

So let’s remember what is Main news a new battery regulation that will apply to all types of batteries.

• Waste collection targets: for portable batteries, 63% by 2027 and 73% by 2030; for LMT batteries – 51% by 2028 and 61% by 2031;
• Minimum levels of materials recovered from battery waste: lithium – 50% by 2027 and 80% by 2031; cobalt, copper, lead and nickel – 90% by 2027 and 95% by 2031;
• Minimum levels of secondary content of industrial and consumer waste for use in new batteries – eight years after the entry into force of the regulation: 16% for cobalt, 85% for lead, 6% for lithium and 6% for nickel; 13 years later: 26% cobalt, 85% lead, 12% lithium and 15% nickel.

The recycling efficiency target for nickel-cadmium batteries is set at 80% by the end of 2025, and for other battery waste at 50% by the end of 2025. The new legislation also provides that “by 2027, portable batteries built into electrical appliances will be removable and replaceable by the end user, giving operators enough time to adapt their product designs to this requirement.“.

Among the key measures of the legislation is also the duty carbon footprint label for batteries in electric vehicles and light vehicles, as well as for industrial batteries with a capacity of more than 2 kWh. In addition to all this, the text contains digital passport for passenger car batteries, industrial batteries with a capacity of more than 2 kWh and batteries for electric vehicles.