European Parliament Committees debate Batteries Regulation

The European Parliament’s Committees on the Environment (ENVI) and on Consumer Protection (IMCO) recently held two extensive debates on the new Battery Regulation.

In the ENVI debate, the responsible rapporteur, Simona Bonafé, emphasised the need for a holistic approach that covers the entire life cycle of batteries – from design to disposal. She mentioned that efforts must be made to strengthen the recycling of lithium batteries.

Shadow rapporteur, Sven Giegold called for better design and more effective collection of batteries. Extended producer responsibility was only briefly mentioned during the debate.

For IMCO rapporteur, Antonius Manders the actual goal of the new regulation is to create a world leading European battery industry. He spoke in favour of an export ban on waste batteries to increase recycling rates.

IMCO members also discussed the introduction of deposit refund schemes for batteries – an idea that was not part of the European Commission’s proposal.

In the meantime, the members of the two Committees have tabled their proposals for amendments which will be voted on in the coming months. The final vote in the Parliament’s plenary is scheduled for February.

Landbell Group company, European Recycling Platform will continue to actively monitor and contribute to the legislative process.