Battery technologies play a key role in the decarbonization of road transport and make an important contribution to energy storage solutions, both for household and grid applications. The use of batteries for energy storage has become increasingly widespread with digitalization and will continue to grow rapidly in the future in view of the energy transition - for example, through the constantly developing electromobility, in which batteries are installed in electric cars with the goal of emission-free mobility.
With the proposed EU Regulation on batteries and waste batteries, the European Commission is further extending the existing Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators, responding to calls for a revision and extension of EU legislation to cover the entire life cycle of batteries in order to increase resource efficiency and create circular added value.
So far, the existing Directive 2006/66/EC has mainly focused on minimizing the environmental impact of hazardous substances in batteries, thus contributing to the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the quality of the environment. This focus is no longer sufficient in view of current developments and challenges such as technological progress, climate change and resource consumption. The new rules of the EU regulation aim to build a sustainable European battery value chain that covers the entire life cycle - from raw material extraction, design and production, to reuse and recycling.
With its position paper, DKE recommends further revisions of the Regulation to the European Commission in order to, among others, avoid misunderstandings, tackle content-related gaps and prevent an imminent fragmentation of the European internal market for batteries and waste batteries.
DKE also calls for new standardization areas in the frame of labelling, the "battery passport", recycling and reuse to support the implementation of the proposed Articles 13, 59, 64 and 65 of the new regulation.
Regarding its Article 16, DKE supports a stronger focus and compliance with EU Regulation 1025/2012 on ‘European standardization’ as well as with the New Legislative Framework (NFL). Together, these promote the development of European Standards by the European Standardization Organizations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI with the aim of harmonizing products and thus promoting the European Single Market.
The position paper is only available in English.
