With 587 votes in favour, nine against and 20 abstentions, MEPs endorsed a deal reached with the Council to overhaul EU rules on batteries and waste batteries. The new law takes into account technological developments and future challenges in the sector and will cover the entire battery life cycle, from design to end-of-life.

Key measures foreseen by the regulation:

• A compulsory carbon footprint declaration and label for electric vehicles (EV) batteries, light means of transport (LMT) batteries (e.g. for electric scooters and bikes), and rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity above 2kWh;
• Designing portable batteries in appliances in such a way that consumers can themselves easily remove and replace them;
• A digital battery passport for LMT batteries, industrial batteries with a capacity above 2 kWh, and EV batteries;
• A due diligence policy for all economic operators, except for SMEs;
• Stricter waste collection targets: for portable batteries – 45% by 2023, 63% by 2027…