THE battery regulation, which comes into force from today Thursday, ensures that the batteries will have a low carbon footprint, they will use only a minimum limit of harmful substances, will need fewer raw materials and will be collected, reused and recycled in Europe, the Commission emphasizes.

From 2025, measures will be put in place to improve the performance and carbon footprint of batteries in electric vehicles, light vehicles and industrial uses. Batteries placed on the EU market will only be able to contain a limited amount of the harmful substances deemed necessary.

From 2025 onwards, targets will be gradually set for recycling efficiency, material recovery and recycled content. All collected battery waste should be recycled, and high levels of recovery should be achieved, especially for critical raw materials such as cobalt, lithium and nickel.

From 2027, consumers will be able to remove and replace portable batteries in their electronic products at any point in their life cycle. To help consumers, a QR code will provide access to a digital passport containing detailed information about each battery.

In addition, under the new law’s due diligence obligations, companies must ensure that the sourcing of lithium, cobalt, nickel and natural graphite contained in their batteries does not have adverse environmental or social impacts.