After two years of negotiations, the European Parliament today successfully voted through the Batteries Regulation, marking a significant milestone in the regulatory framework for the battery value chain. Today’s vote confirms the widespread consensus among EU policy-makers on this comprehensive legislation to regulate batteries for at least the next decade.
EUROBAT has been active throughout the legislative process, working with all parties, at EU and national level, and supports the final version of the Regulation. If the Council of the European Union, representing the EU Member States, also approves the Regulation in its vote next week, it will enter into force during the summer.
Rene Schroeder, EUROBAT Executive Director, said:
“The Batteries Regulation provides much needed long-term regulatory certainty to battery manufacturers and their suppliers. Batteries are indispensable for the EU to achieve its Green Deal objectives and the European Commission will need to engage with battery stakeholders to ensure the implementation of the Regulation lives up to its ambition.
“EUROBAT calls on the European Commission to align new and upcoming legislation affecting batteries with the Batteries Regulation to ensure a consistent regulatory framework for batteries, such as in the upcoming End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, as well as proposals for restricting the use of substances and critical raw materials for batteries.”
By mandating the battery industry to deal with new rules with huge implications for raw material sourcing, battery design, manufacturing processes, the lifespan of a battery, and recycling and reuse, it will establish a definitive green standard for product-specific legislation, setting a commendable example for other industries to follow.
The high level of complexity across provisions means the exact interpretation of several mandates and obligations will need to be agreed after the publication of the Regulation. This will help ensure battery manufacturers and suppliers continue to provide Europe with sustainable batteries while implementing the new standards.
The numerous pieces of secondary legislation built into the proposal will also need to be properly developed. EUROBAT trusts the European Commission will duly involve battery manufacturers in their thorough analysis of which formulation of delegated and implementing acts best enables batteries to continue decarbonising energy and mobility systems, as well as all other sectors that rely on batteries to cut emissions.
Source: EUROBAT
