Scope The regulation applies to all batteries, including all: batteries for light means of transport (LMT) such as electric bikes, e-mopeds and e-scooters. Targets It sets out rules covering the entire life cycle of batteries.
The Council today adopted a new regulation that strengthens sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries. The regulation will regulate the entire life cycle of batteries – from production to reuse and recycling – and ensure that they are safe, sustainable and competitive.
The new Regulation on batteries establish sustainability and safety requirements that batteries should comply with before being placed on the market. These rules are applicable to all batteries entering the EU market, independently of their origin.
The new EU regulations strictly limit the use of hazardous substances in batteries. Specific requirements include: REACH Regulation: Compliance with restricted substances listed in Annex XVII. End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (Directive 2000/53/EC): Lead ≤0.1%, Mercury ≤0.1%, Hexavalent Chromium ≤0.1%, Cadmium ≤0.01%.
These rules are applicable to all batteries entering the EU market, independently of their origin. For batteries manufactured outside the EU, it will be the importer or distributor of the batteries into the EU that needs to ensure compliance of the batteries with the relevant requirements set out in the Regulation. via notified bodies.
Under the new rules, minimum levels of recovered cobalt (16%), lead (85%), lithium (6%) and nickel (6%) from manufacturing and consumer waste must be reused in new batteries. The new rules foresee that batteries will need to be easier to remove and replace, while consumers are better informed.