🌱 What does the EU’s provisional agreement on batteries entail?
On December 9th, 2022, the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement to update the EU’s rules on batteries. The scope of the rules “cover[s] the entire battery life cycle, from design to end-of-life and apply to all types of batteries sold in the EU”. The new rules will make sure that batteries are easier for consumers to remove and replace. Consumers will also be better informed on batteries with “labels and QR codes with information related to their capacity, performance, durability, chemical composition, as well as the “separate collection” symbol”. A new due diligence policy for the battery industry will be introduced under the rules. Moreover, the rules set out new collection targets for batteries and mineral reuse targets for battery producers.
🌱 When will the EU’s new Batteries Regulation come into force?
The provisional agreement is based on the Commission’s proposal for a new regulation on batteries and waste batteries from December 2020. The European Parliament and Council must now both formally approve the provisional agreement for it to come into force. This is scheduled for March 2023. As a part of the provisional agreement, the European Commission has also agreed to “assess whether to phase out the use of non-rechargeable portable batteries of general use” by December 31st, 2030.
Read more about the EU’s provisional agreement on batteries here:
- https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/battery-value-chain/
Read more about the EU’s draft Batteries Regulation here:
- https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2022/729285/EPRS_ATA(2022)729285_EN.pdf
- https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/batteries-and-accumulators_en