Filenews 27 March 2022 - by Xenia Tourki
The European Parliament is working on new rules to address environmental, ethical and social issues arising from battery production. Moreover, it considers that the new sustainability standards that will be set for batteries will be a point of reference for the global market.
So the European Union's legislative body is ready to negotiate with the Member States on the final version of the new rules governing the entire life cycle of batteries, from design to disposal. During the plenary debate on 9 March, MEPs highlighted the key role that batteries play in the transition towards a circular and climate-neutral economy, as well as in the EU's competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The draft legislation was adopted by 584 votes in favour, 67 against and 40 abstentions.
MEPs were in favour of revising existing legislation to take account of technological developments. In this context, they proposed stricter standards for the sustainability, performance and labelling of batteries, including the introduction of a new category of 'batteries for light means of transport', such as electric scooters and bicycles, as well as rules on the labelling of the carbon footprint of each battery. By 2024, portable batteries for devices such as smartphones and light transport batteries must be designed in such a way that consumers and independent professionals can easily and safely remove them from the items themselves.
This measure aims to increase the life of electronic devices. It should be noted that the European Union had also considered in 2020 to force smartphone manufacturers to return to detachable batteries. "Since lithium batteries are everywhere, from smartphones to scooters, electric cars and energy stores, the assurance that they can be easily replaced is absolutely necessary to be sure that the products will have a longer lifespan and that unnecessary pollution will be prevented," the European Parliament said in a statement.
The report also sets targets for cobalt, lead, lithium and nickel that can be recovered and reused in new batteries. More stringent targets are set regarding the collection of data for those that are portable. Accordingly, all batteries of cars and electric vehicles must go through the process of collection. For portable batteries, the European Parliament now plans to collect them at a rate of 70% by 2025 and 80% by 2030. For micromobility media batteries, the collection rate will be 75% by 2025 and 85% by 2030.
In addition, the battery industry should ensure that the value chain of batteries fully complies with human rights and due diligence obligations, thus addressing the risks related to the supply, processing and marketing of raw materials, which are often concentrated in one or a few countries.
New approach
MEPs pointed out that the new battery measures are crucial for the transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy and for the EU's competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The rapporteur, Simona Bonafé (Socialists, Italy) said that for the first time in European legislation, the Battery Regulation establishes a holistic set of rules governing the entire life cycle of products, from the design phase to the end of their life cycle. "This creates a new approach to enhancing the cyclicity of batteries and introduces new sustainability standards that should become a benchmark for the entire global battery market. Batteries are key technology for promoting sustainable mobility and storing energy from renewable sources. To achieve the green deal objectives and attract investment, the co-legislators need to swiftly adopt clear and ambitious rules and timelines."
What does the EP propose?
- Batteries need to be more viable and easier to replace, including those in mobile phones.
- Have custody standards throughout the battery value chain.
- More ambitious targets are set in the management of their rejection.
D. Papadakis: Step forward
The battery package was approved by a large majority in the European Parliament and we are very pleased about this, said Demetris Papadakis (Socialists). The European Parliament's concern is that batteries should be able to be removed from appliances and by consumers themselves, that they should be made with stricter standards and that the materials used for manufacture such as lithium, cobalt and lead can be reused. "Our goal was to be able to operate within the framework of the circular economy, i.e. nothing is thrown away. Because batteries have a very important part of our daily lives, we set our sights on managing to use the batteries in such a way that they contribute in the spirit of the Green Deal", explained the Cypriot MEP.
As the Demetris Papadakis said, the new rules set by the European Parliament are a step forward as the next objective is to lead to batteries that are rechargeable, so that what we are experiencing today, namely their rejection, is not observed. "The role of the battery on the road to the Green Deal is very important. From the moment we abolish fossil fuels, batteries will become the means of storing energy and electricity. In other words, as they evolve they will contribute to the climate neutrality of the European Union, as is our goal for 2050".
At the same time, he said that in the European Parliament there are heated debates about the batteries of electric cars, since as time goes by their market share increases. It takes seven years to depreciate the environmental footprint of an electric car because of its batteries and this is a very important issue. "The aim is for these batteries to be recycled and reused and most importantly we must reach the point where they are charged with electricity produced from Renewable Energy Sources and not from fuel oil burning, as is done in Cyprus", concluded the Cypriot MEP.
