On Thursday, 10 March, the European Parliament significantly strengthened the proposed December 2020 regulation on batteries and battery waste, which aims to improve the sustainability of batteries throughout their life cycle - from raw material extraction to end-of-life reuse - in the interests of the environment and health, and to create a genuine European battery market to foster the EU’s strategic autonomy.
The report by Simona Bonafé (S&D, Italy) was adopted by a very large majority (584 votes in favour, 67 against and 40 abstentions).
In particular, it increases sustainability requirements and collection and recycling rates, provides for a declaration on the environmental footprint of batteries, imposes due diligence on battery producers throughout the value chain to ensure compliance with minimum environmental and labour standards, and extends the scope of the future regulation to batteries for light vehicles.
This result was expected after the debate by MEPs (see EUROPE 12907/14). It constitutes a mandate for the opening of negotiations with the EU Council.
The ECR policy group feared that the production cost of batteries would rise as a result of these future rules. Its amendment calling for consideration to be given to the affordability of batteries for end users was rejected. The ID Group’s amendments in favour of a ban on child labour were also rejected.
The European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC), for its part, welcomed the consumer-friendly initiative.
“The European Parliament is sending the right signal by insisting on the need to extend the life of batteries, to better inform consumers about their life span and to facilitate their replacement”, commented BEUC Director General Monique Goyens, calling on Member States to maintain the level of ambition of the voted text.
The Council of the EU will try to decide its position on this future regulation on 17 March (see EUROPE 12897/15). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)