Circular Economy Hub will hold event “EU New Battery Regulation and its Impact on Industry”

Since April 2021, Circular Economy Hub has been holding its monthly Circular X Series, a study program in which participants can learn about the future image of the circular economy spreading in various industries and fields.

Theme for March 2023: Key Points of the EU New Battery Regulation and its Impact on Industry – A Circular Economy Perspective

The theme for this month is “Key Points of the EU New Battery Regulation and its Impact on Industry – A Circular Economy Perspective.”

The New Battery Regulation is the first EU regulation to cover the entire life cycle (from production to reuse/recycling) of a single product. The Regulation aims to promote safe, sustainable and competitive batteries in the EU market. The Battery Regulation represents a major revision of the current directive, which is responsible for promoting the circular economy in the battery sector under the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, which is at the heart of the European Green Deal.

This first attempt at a regulation focused on the entire battery life cycle is experimental for the EU and could serve as a model case for other regulations in the future. A very large number of requirements will be put in place and the industries to be covered will be greatly expanded, which means that more companies will be affected. In order to achieve a circular economy for batteries, there is a strong emphasis on reuse and recycling, and strict targets have been set for recycled material content and raw material recovery rates.

The EU is currently considering the introduction of digital product passports for a number of products. The Battery Passport will be the first digital passport. It is therefore expected to serve as a model for other digital passports to be developed in the future, and is attracting significant attention not only in Europe, but also from companies around the world, including Japanese companies operating in the European market.

The EU is trying to become a driver of the circular economy, and regulations such as the battery regulation, which will be one of the tools to achieve this goal, are likely to be introduced in Japan and other countries around the world in the future. In this issue, Circular Economy Hub’s European-based reporter, who has been following the EU’s ambitious new battery regulation, provides an overview of the regulation and its impact on the industry that will be forced to respond to it.

[Reference] Online event on 3/23 “Key Points of the EU New Battery Regulation and its Impact on Industry: A Circular Economy Perspective” – Circular X | Circular Economy Hub (in Japanese)