EU Batteries Regulation

New EU batteries rules to deliver on the Strategic Action Plan on Batteries, to support developing a sustainable and competitive battery value chain, and to strengthen a strategic, 4-million-new-jobs industry.

EU Batteries Regulation

New EU batteries rules to deliver on the Strategic Action Plan on Batteries, to support developing a sustainable and competitive battery value chain, and to strengthen a strategic, 4-million-new-jobs industry.

Sustainable batteries for a circular and climate neutral economy

Under the context of the European Green Deal, the Commission published a proposal for a new EU batteries legislation on December 10. With the aim of paving the way for sustainable batteries for a circular and climate neutral economy, the new batteries framework is the next step in delivering on the European Strategic Action Plan on Batteries. Key changes are the shift from a Directive to a Europe-wide Regulation as well as new requirements for social responsibility and environmental sustainability.

The measures – and their legislative process – are now being subject to discussions at Member State level (EU Council) and in the European Parliament. As the industry voice for the advanced rechargeable and lithium batteries value chain in Europe, RECHARGE supports the legislative debate with expert know-how and industry data.


"European policymakers are now in the unique position to translate the EU’s battery vision into a meaningful legislative framework".

An opportunity for better regulation

Batteries were one of the first products to have been regulated on a lifecycle basis, from chemicals management and product safety to transport and recycling. With the increasing role of batteries – especially of advanced rechargeable industrial batteries used in stationary energy storage systems and electric mobility – the new batteries legislation is a unique opportunity to support European battery deployment for a decarbonized economy, and to eventually close the gaps in the existing legislative batteries frameworks. 

Supporting a thriving battery industry

Currently, the European battery industry represents some 5% of the global battery manufacturing market. Still, investments in the past two years have created a new innovation and investment dynamic that can put Europe on track for a leadership position in this highly strategic industry. A coherent regulatory framework that can support this new dynamic is key.

Industry, long-term investments and cutting-edge innovations especially depend on a legislative framework that is capable of providing predictability and flexibility likewise.  In turn, measures that hamper the innovative and fast-paced profile of our industry risk jeopardizing the further decarbonization of our societies as well as the establishment of a prosperous battery value chain in Europe.

At RECHARGE, we firmly believe that a successful EU regulation must be focused on establishing a net environmental or social benefit, be effective and meaningful, and applicable to domestic as well as imported batteries. Timely implementation of the new rules will further support the sustainability and economic potential of batteries.


The European battery industry is estimated to be worth up to EUR 250 billion per year, from 2025 onward.

In 2019, more than EUR 60 billion were invested in the European battery ecosystem. European cell manufacturing capacity is expected to exceed 400 GWh p.a. in the next three to five years. Nearly a dozen new gigafactories will become operational by the mid of the decade to support the electrification of our society.

An important employer already today, the advanced rechargeable batteries sector has the potential to create some 800,000 direct jobs and up to 3 million indirect jobs by the mid of the decade – in both base and high-skilled jobs.

To maintain the beat of this innovation and investment dynamic, RECHARGE advocates an enabling legislative framework.

For years, RECHARGE has advocated a batteries framework capable of supporting the increasing role of batteries in a climate-neutral society and has called for an effective rescoping of the existing battery rules. Due diligence and carbon intensity were missing in the comprehensive framework regulating batteries.

Carbon Footprint

Batteries play a pivotal role in the decarbonization of the transport and energy sector and are crucial to the achievement of the EU’s 2050 climate-neutrality objective. Defining the carbon footprint of a battery as a key sustainability indicator is hence an effective mean to demonstrate this strategic role of our product.

Our work in establishing the Product Environmental Footprint for rechargeable batteries has shown that batteries can indeed best differentiate on the carbon footprint. The carbon footprint stands for both high-quality batteries as well as environmentally sound value chain steps. It is a known indicator for consumers and allows them to identify batteries with a superior environmental profile more easily. It also gives the necessary signals to poorly performing industry actors to improve the carbon profile of their product.

In conjunction with a battery passport, a carbon intensity measure has the potential to not only prevent underperforming batteries from entering the EU market but to also incentivize best-in-class manufacturers.

For years, RECHARGE has advocated a batteries framework capable of supporting the increasing role of batteries in a climate-neutral society and has called for an effective rescoping of the existing battery rules. Due diligence and carbon intensity were missing in the comprehensive framework regulating batteries.

Due Diligence Obligations

A socially sustainable battery value chain, covering all steps from raw materials extraction to battery manufacturing and recycling, is a key objective of the European advanced rechargeable batteries industry. This objective is achieved through corporate governance, best practice sharing, and mandatory regulatory instruments. At RECHARGE, we believe that social sustainability must incorporate human, labor and social rights, and shall reach from raw materials sourcing to the manufacturing of a final product to truly help improve working conditions at all stages of the value chain. The legislative environment should encourage industry players to source from supply chains that have fully implemented the four fundamental International Labor Organization (ILO) Principles and Rights at Work.

Our policy recommendations include: 

  • Carbon footprint content as a pivotal environmental and quality performance indicator
  • Mandatory requirements for human, social, and labor rights along the value chain
  • A digital battery passport for comprehensive tracing of materials
  • Effective, net-value circular economy strategy thanks to high-impact materials recycling and a recycling concept that can meet the innovative, fast-paced profile of batteries
  • Safety and EPR measures to facilitate repair and refurbishment for second life batteries
  • Smart changes to the existing classification system, with sub-categories for small industrial batteries and EV batteries
  • Improved collection reality with increased user sensibilization, available for collection methodology and end-of-life declaration for industrial/automotive batteries

Read here our summary of the Commission measures and their impact on the environment, society and our industry.