On 22 September, the ENVI Committee published their draft report on batteries and waste batteries, with MEP Simona Bonafè (S&D,IT) as rapporteur.
The rapporteur highlighted the following issues:
further work is needed on the definitions in order to make it clearer what the legal basis is for the main categories of battery admitted to the market and for their end uses.
the rapporteur has added a new definition for batteries used in ‘light means of transport’. The rapporteur has also set clear weight limits for ‘portable batteries’ and ‘electric vehicle batteries’ and agrees that minimum requirements should be set for the recycled material content in all types of battery, with the exception of ‘portable batteries for general use’.
to be truly sustainable, the entire battery supply chain must combine environmental sustainability and a social dimension. The rapporteur also stresses that achieving a circular model and creating an efficient secondary raw materials market will require the effective collection of ambitious quantities of all categories of battery.
EPR requirements set in the Waste Framework Directive should constitute the minimum requirements applicable to batteries, while this Regulation should lay down additional specific requirements to enable proper management of battery waste and strengthen prevention measures.
clear rules on the use of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries to store renewable energy could in fact support the development of economic hubs rooted in industrial symbiosis, inspire new business models and lead to new jobs.
To read the draft report, please click here.