Of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning batteries and waste batteries,

EUROPAPARLAMENTET OCH EUROPEISKA UNIONENS RÅD HAR ANTAGIT DENNA FÖRORDNING

med beaktande av fördraget om Europeiska unionens funktionssätt, särskilt artikel 114, och artikel 192.1 såvitt avser artiklarna 54–76 i denna förordning,

med beaktande av Europeiska kommissionens förslag,

efter översändande av utkastet till lagstiftningsakt till de nationella parlamenten,

med beaktande av Europeiska ekonomiska och sociala kommitténs yttrande,

efter att ha hört Regionkommittén,

i enlighet med det ordinarie lagstiftningsförfarandet, och

Skälen nedan är grundrättsaktens. Ändringsrättsakternas skäl: förordning (EU) 2024/1781 · förordning (EU) 2025/1561 · förordning (EU) 2026/1738.

Skäl 1–10: Bakgrund och syfte (jfr art 1 och 2)

(1) Kommissions meddelade av den 11 december 2019 om den europeiska gröna given (den europeiska gröna given) är Europas tillväxtstrategi, vars syfte är att ställa om unionen till ett rättvist och välmående samhälle med en modern, resurseffektiv och konkurrenskraftig ekonomi, där det 2050 inte längre förekommer några nettoutsläpp av växthusgaser och där den ekonomiska tillväxten har frikopplats från resursförbrukningen. En övergång från användning av fossila bränslen i fordon till elektromobilitet är en av förutsättningarna för att uppnå klimatneutralitetsmålet 2050. För att unionens produktpolitik ska kunna bidra till att minska koldioxidutsläppen på global nivå måste det säkerställas att produkter som saluförs och säljs i unionen produceras av hållbara råmaterial och tillverkas på ett hållbart sätt.

(2) Batterier är därför en viktig strömkälla och en av de viktigaste möjliggörande faktorerna för hållbar utveckling, grön rörlighet, ren energi och klimatneutralitet. Efterfrågan på batterier förväntas öka snabbt under de kommande åren, särskilt för elfordon och lätta transportmedel som använder batterier för framdrivning, vilket gör marknaden för batterier allt mer strategiskt viktig på global nivå. Den vetenskapliga och tekniska utvecklingen på området batteriteknik kommer att fortsätta. Med tanke på batteriers strategiska betydelse och för att skapa rättssäkerhet för alla berörda aktörer och för att motverka diskriminering, handelshinder och snedvridningar på marknaden för batterier, är det nödvändigt att fastställa regler om hållbarhet, prestanda, säkerhet, insamling, återvinning och andra livscykeln för batterier, samt om information om batterier till slutanvändare och ekonomiska aktörer. Det är nödvändigt att skapa ett harmoniserat regelverk för hantering av hela livscykeln för batterier som släpps ut på marknaden i unionen.

(3) Det är också nödvändigt att uppdatera unionsrätten om hantering av förbrukade batterier och att vidta åtgärder för att skydda miljön och människors hälsa genom att förebygga eller minska de negativa effekterna av generering och hantering av avfall, minska resursanvändningens effekter och förbättra resurseffektiviteten. Sådana åtgärder är avgörande för omställningen till en cirkulär och klimatneutral ekonomi och en giftfri miljö samt för unionens långsiktiga konkurrenskraft och strategiska oberoende. De kan skapa viktiga ekonomiska möjligheter, öka synergierna mellan den cirkulära ekonomin och politiken på området för energi, klimat, transport, industri och forskning samt skydda miljön och minska växthusgasutsläppen.

(4) Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2006/66/EG har resulterat i en förbättring av batteriers miljöprestanda och vissa gemensamma regler och skyldigheter för ekonomiska aktörer, särskilt genom de harmoniserade reglerna för tungmetallinnehåll och märkning av batterier samt reglerna och målen för hanteringen av alla förbrukade batterier, baserat på utökat producentansvar.

(5) I kommissionens rapporter om genomförandet, effekterna och utvärderingen av direktiv 2006/66/EG som lades fram 2019 framhålls inte bara vad som uppnåtts utan även vilka begränsningar som direktivet har, särskilt mot bakgrund av att kontexten har ändrats i grunden och batterier har blivit strategiskt viktiga och användningen av dem har ökat.

(6) Kommissionens meddelande av den 17 maj 2018, Europa på väg – Hållbar mobilitet i EU: säker, uppkopplad och ren, innehåller den strategiska handlingsplanen om batterier. I den handlingsplanen fastställs åtgärder för att stödja uppbyggnaden av en värdekedja för batterier i Europa, som omfattar utvinning, hållbar anskaffning och bearbetning av råmaterial, hållbara batterimaterial, celltillverkning samt återanvändning och materialåtervinning av batterier.

(7) I den europeiska gröna given bekräftade kommissionen sitt åtagande att genomföra den strategiska handlingsplanen om batterier och angav att den skulle föreslå lagstiftning för att säkerställa en säker, cirkulär och hållbar värdekedja för alla batterier, inbegripet för att försörja den växande marknaden för elfordon.

(8) I sina slutsatser av den 4 oktober 2019, Ökad cirkularitet – övergången till ett hållbart samhälle, efterlyste rådet bland annat en konsekvent politik till stöd för utvecklingen av teknik som förbättrar batteriernas hållbarhet och cirkularitet i samband med övergången till elektromobilitet. Dessutom efterlyste rådet en brådskande översyn av direktiv 2006/66/EG, som bör inbegripa allt relevant batterimaterial och särskilt inriktas på specifika krav för litium och kobolt samt på en mekanism som gör det möjligt att anpassa det direktivet till framtida förändringar i batteriteknik.

(9) I kommissionens meddelande av den 11 mars 2020, En ny handlingsplan för den cirkulära ekonomin – För ett renare och mer konkurrenskraftigt Europa, anges att förslaget till ett nytt regelverk för batterier kommer att omfatta regler för återvunnet innehåll och åtgärder för att förbättra insamlings- och materialåtervinningsgraden för alla batterier, i syfte att säkerställa att värdefulla material återvinns och tillhandahålla vägledning för konsumenterna, och ta itu med en eventuell utfasning av icke-laddningsbara batterier i de fall där det finns alternativ. Vidare anges det att kraven på hållbarhet och öppenhet kommer att beaktas, med hänsyn tagen till batteritillverkningens koldioxidavtryck, etisk anskaffning av råmaterial och försörjningstrygghet för att underlätta återanvändning, ändamålsändring (repurposing) och materialåtervinning av batterier.

(10) För att säkerställa att åtgärderna omfattar hela livscykeln för alla batterier som släpps ut på unionsmarknaden krävs det att det införs harmoniserade produkt- och saluföringskrav, inbegripet förfaranden för bedömning av överensstämmelse, samt krav för att hantera det stadium då batterierna är förbrukade. Det är nödvändigt att fastställa krav för det stadium då batterierna är förbrukade för att ta itu med batteriernas miljöpåverkan och i synnerhet för att stödja skapandet av återvinningsmarknader för batterier och marknader för sekundära råmaterial från förbrukade batterier. I syfte att göra det möjligt att uppnå de planerade målen om att låta batteriers hela livscykel omfattas av ett enda rättsligt instrument, samtidigt som handelshinder och snedvridning av konkurrensen undviks och den inre marknadens integritet skyddas, bör de regler i vilka kraven för batterier fastställs tillämpas på ett enhetligt sätt för alla ekonomiska aktörer i hela unionen och det bör inte finnas något utrymme för skillnader i genomförande mellan olika medlemsstater. Direktiv 2006/66/EG bör därför ersättas med en förordning.

Skäl 11–18: Tillämpningsområde och kategorier (jfr art 1, 3 och 45)

(11) Denna förordning bör tillämpas på alla kategorier av batterier som släpps ut på marknaden eller tas i bruk inom unionen, oavsett om de har producerats i unionen eller importerats. Den bör tillämpas oavsett om ett batteri ingår i apparater, lätta transportmedel eller andra fordon eller på annat sätt tillförts produkter eller om ett batteri är släppt ut på marknaden eller tas i bruk inom unionen separat. Denna förordning bör tillämpas oavsett om ett batteri har utformats särskilt för en viss produkt eller om det är avsett för allmän användning och oavsett om det ingår i en produkt eller levereras tillsammans med eller separat från den produkt i vilken det är avsett att användas. Utsläppande på marknaden anses äga rum när batteriet för första gången tillhandahålls på unionsmarknaden, genom att tillhandahållas av tillverkaren eller importören för distribution, förbrukning eller användning inom ramen för kommersiell verksamhet, mot betalning eller kostnadsfritt. Batterier som har placerats i lager i unionen av distributörer, inbegripet återförsäljare, grossister och försäljningsenheter hos tillverkare, före den dag då de relevanta kraven i denna förordning börjar tillämpas, behöver således inte uppfylla dessa krav.

(12) Denna förordning bör förebygga och minska batteriers negativa miljöpåverkan och säkerställa en säker och hållbar batterivärdekedja för alla batterier, med beaktande av exempelvis batteritillverkningens koldioxidavtryck, etisk anskaffning av råmaterial och försörjningstrygghet samt underlätta återanvändning, ändamålsändring och återvinning. Den bör syfta till att förbättra miljöprestanda hos batterier och hos den verksamhet som bedrivs av alla aktörer som är involverade under batteriers livscykel, såsom producenter, distributörer och slutanvändare, särskilt de aktörer som är direkt inblandade i behandling och återvinning av förbrukade batterier. Sådana åtgärder kommer att bidra till att säkerställa övergången till en cirkulär ekonomi och unionens långsiktiga konkurrenskraft och bör bidra till att den inre marknaden fungerar effektivt, samtidigt som en hög miljöskyddsnivå beaktas. Denna förordning bör också sträva efter att förebygga och minska de negativa effekterna av generering och hantering av förbrukade batterier på människors hälsa och miljön, och den bör syfta till att minska resursanvändningen och främja den praktiska tillämpningen av avfallshierarkin. För att förhindra skillnader som hämmar den fria rörligheten för batterier genom att fastställa enhetliga skyldigheter och krav för hela den inre marknaden är artikel 114 i fördraget om Europeiska unionens funktionssätt (EUF-fördraget) därför den lämpliga rättsliga grunden för denna förordning. I den mån denna förordning innehåller särskilda regler om hantering av förbrukade batterier är den lämpliga rättsliga grunden, med avseende på dessa särskilda regler, artikel 192.1 i EUF-fördraget.

(13) Produkter som släpps ut på marknaden som batteripack, dvs. batterier eller grupper av celler som är sammankopplade eller inkapslade i ett yttre hölje och som utgör en komplett enhet som är färdig för användning av slutanvändare eller i tillämpningar och som inte är avsedd att brytas upp eller öppnas av slutanvändaren, och som överensstämmer med definitionen av batterier, eller battericeller som överensstämmer med definitionen av batterier, bör omfattas av de krav som gäller för batterier.

(14) Batterier som slutanvändaren kan göra färdiga för användning med allmänt tillgängliga verktyg i en gör-det-själv-sats bör betraktas som batterier vid tillämpningen av denna förordning. Den ekonomiska aktör som släpper ut sådana gör-det-själv-satser på marknaden bör omfattas av denna förordning.

(15) Inom denna förordnings breda tillämpningsområde är det lämpligt att skilja mellan olika kategorier av batterier beroende på deras utformning och användning, oberoende av deras batteris kemiska sammansättning. Uppdelningen i bärbara batterier, å ena sidan, och industribatterier och bilbatterier å andra sidan, enligt direktiv 2006/66/EG, bör vidareutvecklas för att bättre återspegla den nya utvecklingen när det gäller användningen av batterier. Batterier som används för framdrivning i elfordon, och som enligt direktiv 2006/66/EG tillhör kategorin industribatterier, utgör en stor och växande del av marknaden på grund av den snabba ökningen av elfordon för vägtransporter. Det är därför lämpligt att klassificera batterier som används för framdrivning av vägfordon i en ny separat kategori, dvs. elfordonsbatterier. Batterier som används för framdrivning av lätta transportmedel, såsom elcyklar och elskotrar, klassificerades inte som en separat kategori av batterier enligt direktiv 2006/66/EG Sådana batterier utgör emellertid en betydande del av marknaden på grund av deras ökande användning inom hållbar rörlighet i städer. Det är därför lämpligt att klassificera dessa batterier som en ny separat kategori av batterier, nämligen batterier för lätta transportmedel. Kategorin industribatterier enligt denna förordning kommer även fortsättningsvis att omfatta batterier för framdrivning av andra transportmedel, inbegripet för järnvägs-, vattenvägs- och lufttransport eller för maskiner som inte är avsedda att användas på väg. Kategorin industribatterier omfattar en bred grupp batterier som är avsedda för industriell verksamhet, kommunikationsinfrastruktur, jordbruksverksamhet och produktion och distribution av elektrisk energi. Batterier som är avsedda för industriell användning efter att ha varit föremål för förberedelse för ändamålsändring eller ändamålsändring, även om de ursprungligen var avsedda för en annan användning, bör betraktas som industribatterier enligt denna förordning. Utöver de batterier som ingår i denna icke-uttömmande förteckning med exempel bör alla batterier med en vikt över 5 kg som inte omfattas av någon annan kategori enligt denna förordning anses vara industribatterier. Batterier som används för energilagring i privata miljöer eller i hemmiljöer bör betraktas som industribatterier vid tillämpningen av denna förordning. Batterier för framdrivning av hjulförsedda fordon som betraktas som leksaker i den mening som avses i Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2009/48/EG bör, vid tillämpningen av denna förordning, inte betraktas som batterier för lätta transportmedel, utan som bärbara batterier.

(16) Efter att ha släppts ut på marknaden eller tagits i bruk inom unionen för första gången kan ett batteri bli föremål för återanvändning, ändamålsändring, återtillverkning, förberedelse för återanvändning eller förberedelse för ändamålsändring. Vid tillämpningen av denna förordning, och i enlighet med unionens ram för produktreglering, anses ett begagnat batteri, dvs. ett batteri som har varit föremål för återanvändning, redan ha släppts ut på marknaden när det först tillhandahölls på marknaden för användning eller distribution. Omvänt anses batterier som har varit föremål för förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring, ändamålsändring eller återtillverkning ha släppts ut på marknaden på nytt och bör därför uppfylla kraven i denna förordning. I enlighet med unionens ram för produktreglering anses dessutom ett begagnat batteri som importeras från ett tredjeland släppas ut på marknaden när det förs in i unionen för första gången. Ett batteri som har varit föremål för återanvändning, ändamålsändring, återtillverkning, förberedelse för återanvändning eller förberedelse för ändamålsändring och som importeras från ett tredjeland bör därför uppfylla kraven i denna förordning.

(17) Återtillverkning omfattar en rad olika tekniska åtgärder som kan utföras på batterier eller förbrukade batterier. Återtillverkning av förbrukade batterier kan anses vara förberedelse för återanvändning eller förberedelse för ändamålsändring. Därför är det inte nödvändigt att i denna förordning föreskriva en särskild ordning för återtillverkning av förbrukade batterier som skiljer sig från ordningen för förberedelse för återanvändning eller förberedelse för ändamålsändring av förbrukade batterier. Återtillverkning av begagnade batterier har till syfte att återställa batteriets ursprungliga prestanda. I denna mening kan återtillverkning ses som ett extremt fall av återanvändning som innebär demontering och utvärdering av batteriets celler och moduler och ersättning av en viss mängd av dessa celler och moduler. För att skilja mellan återtillverkning och ren återanvändning bör återställandet av batterikapaciteten till minst 90 % av den ursprungliga nominella batterikapaciteten anses vara återtillverkning och kräva tillämpning av en särskild ordning.

(18) Om slutanvändaren är en konsument och batteriet har varit föremål för förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring, ändamålsändring eller återtillverkning, bör batteriet omfattas av ett köpeavtal som uppfyller kraven i Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv (EU) 2019/771. Kraven i det direktivet omfattar bland annat produktens avtalsenlighet, säljarens ansvar, inbegripet möjligheten till en kortare ansvarsperiod eller preskriptionsfrist, bevisbörda, avhjälpande åtgärder vid bristande avtalsenlighet, reparation eller utbyte av varorna samt garantier.

Skäl 19–26: Design och farliga ämnen (jfr art 6)

(19) Batterier bör utformas och tillverkas på ett sådant sätt att deras prestanda, hållbarhet och säkerhet optimeras och deras miljöpåverkan minimeras. Det är lämpligt att fastställa särskilda hållbarhetskrav för laddningsbara industribatterier med en kapacitet på över 2 kWh, batterier för lätta transportmedel och elfordonsbatterier, eftersom sådana batterier utgör det marknadssegment som förväntas öka mest under de kommande åren.

(20) När det gäller säkerheten hos elfordonsbatterier och batterier för startmotor, belysning och tändsystem (startbatterier) kräver den fortsatta giltigheten för EU-typgodkännandet av fordon i kategorierna M, N och O i enlighet med Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) 2018/858 att alla batterier som har reparerats eller bytts ut fortsätter att uppfylla de tillämpliga säkerhetskraven. Om säkerhetsdetaljerna har ändrats krävs ytterligare inspektioner eller provningar för att kontrollera fortsatt överensstämmelse med de krav som ligger till grund för det befintliga EU-typgodkännandet.

(21) I linje med kommissionens meddelande av den 12 maj 2021, Vägen till en frisk planet för alla – EU:s handlingsplan: Med sikte på nollförorening av luft, vatten och mark, bör unionens politik bygga på principen att förebyggande åtgärder bör vidtas vid källan. I sitt meddelande av den 14 oktober 2020, Kemikaliestrategi för hållbarhet – På väg mot en giftfri miljö, (kemikaliestrategin för hållbarhet) understryker kommissionen att Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006 och Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EG) nr 1272/2008 bör stärkas som unionens hörnstenar i regleringen av kemikalier i unionen och att de bör kompletteras med konsekventa strategier för bedömning och hantering av kemikalier i befintlig sektorsspecifik lagstiftning. Användningen av farliga ämnen i batterier bör därför främst begränsas vid källan för att skydda människors hälsa och miljön och för att hantera förekomsten av sådana ämnen i avfall. Den här förordningen bör komplettera förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006 och förordning (EG) nr 1272/2008 och göra det möjligt att anta riskhanteringsåtgärder för ämnen vilka omfattar avfallsfasen.

(22) Utöver de begränsningar som anges i bilaga XVII till förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006 är det lämpligt att fastställa begränsningar för förekomst av kvicksilver, kadmium och bly i vissa batterikategorier. Batterier som används i fordon som omfattas av ett undantag enligt bilaga II till Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2000/53/EG bör undantas från kadmiumförbudet. Med tanke på ytterligare begränsningar av ämnen som finns i batterier eller används vid deras tillverkning är det lämpligt att kartlägga ämnen som inger betänkligheter, som i kemikaliestrategin för hållbarhet definieras som ämnen med kronisk effekt på människors hälsa eller miljön, såsom ämnen i kandidatförteckningen för eventuellt upptagande i bilaga XIV till förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006 och i bilaga VI till förordning (EG) nr 1272/2008, men även sådana som hindrar materialåtervinning av säkra sekundära råmaterial av hög kvalitet, inom ramen för den ämnesutvärdering som planeras i den gemensamma handlingsplanen för utvärdering av Reach som offentliggjorts på webbplatsen för Europeiska kemikaliemyndigheten, inrättad enligt förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006 (kemikaliemyndigheten).

(23) I syfte att säkerställa att ämnen som utgör en oacceptabel risk för människors hälsa eller för miljön när de används i batterier eller förekommer i förbrukade batterier kan hanteras på vederbörligt sätt, bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen i syfte att ändra begränsningarna av ämnen i batterier.

(24) Bedömningsförfarandet för att anta nya begränsningar och för att ändra nuvarande begränsningar av ämnen i batterier och förbrukade batterier bör anpassas helt och hållet till förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006. I syfte att säkerställa ett effektivt beslutsfattande och en god samordning och förvaltning av de relevanta tekniska, vetenskapliga och administrativa aspekterna av den här förordningen börkemikaliemyndigheten ges specifika uppgifter med avseende på utvärderingen av risker med ämnen i samband med tillverkning och användning av batterier, såväl som de risker som kan uppstå efter det att batterierna är förbrukade, samt med avseende på utvärdering av samhällsekonomiska faktorer och analys av alternativ, i enlighet med relevant vägledning från kemikaliemyndigheten. Följaktligen bör kemikaliemyndighetens riskbedömningskommitté och kommittén för samhällsekonomisk analys underlätta utförandet av vissa av de uppgifter som åläggs kemikaliemyndigheten genom den här förordningen.

(25) För att säkerställa att den här förordningen är förenlig med eventuella framtida ändringar av förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006 eller av annan framtida unionsrätt om hållbarhetskriterier för farliga ämnen och kemikalier bör kommissionen bedöma om det krävs en ändring av artiklarna 6, 86, 87 och 88 i den här förordningen. När så är lämpligt bör kommissionen föreslå ändringar av den här förordningen i en framtida förordning om ändring av förordning (EG) nr 1907/2006 eller i annan framtida unionsrätt om hållbarhetskriterier för farliga ämnen och kemikalier.

(26) För att främja en hållbar europeisk ekonomisk modell bör kommissionen, när så är lämpligt, föreslå ändringar av de bestämmelser i denna förordning som reglerar begränsningarna av ämnen i batterier och förbrukade batterier, inbegripet införande av ett exportförbud för batterier som inte uppfyller dessa begränsningar.

Skäl 27–33: Koldioxidavtryck och återvunnet innehåll (jfr art 7 och 8)

(27) Den väntade massiva användningen av batterier inom sektorer som mobilitet och energilagring bör minska koldioxidutsläppen. För att maximera denna potential är det dock nödvändigt att batteriernas totala livscykel har ett lågt koldioxidavtryck. Enligt reglerna för produktkategoriers miljöavtryck för högspecifika laddningsbara batterier för mobila tillämpningar är klimatförändringarna den näst viktigaste kategorin för batteriers påverkan, efter gruvdrift och användningen av mineraler och metaller. Laddningsbara industribatterier med en kapacitet på över 2 kWh, batterier för lätta transportmedel och elfordonsbatterier som släpps ut på unionsmarknaden bör därför åtföljas av en deklaration om koldioxidavtryck. Harmoniserade tekniska regler för beräkning av koldioxidavtrycket för alla laddningsbara industribatterier med en kapacitet på över 2 kWh, batterier för lätta transportmedel och elfordonsbatterier som släpps ut på unionsmarknaden är en förutsättning för att kunna införa ett krav på en deklaration om koldioxidavtryck och därefter fastställa prestandaklasser för koldioxidavtryck med hjälp av vilka det blir möjligt att identifiera vilka batterier som totalt sett har lägre koldioxidavtryck. Informationskrav och tydliga märkningskrav för batteriers koldioxidavtryck förväntas inte i sig leda till den beteendeförändring som krävs för att säkerställa att unionens mål att fasa ut fossila bränslen i sektorerna för mobilitet och energilagring, i linje med de internationellt överenskomna klimatförändringsmålen, kan uppnås. Det bör därför införas högsta tröskelvärden för koldioxidutsläpp, på grundval av en särskild konsekvensbedömning för att fastställa dessa värden. När kommissionen föreslår en nivå för tröskelvärdet för maximalt koldioxidavtryck bör den bland annat ta hänsyn till hur koldioxidavtrycksvärdena fördelas mellan de batterier som finns på marknaden, hur stora framsteg som har gjorts med att minska koldioxidavtrycket från batterier som släpps ut på unionsmarknaden och hur åtgärden faktiskt har bidragit och potentiellt kan bidra till unionens mål om hållbar rörlighet och klimatneutralitet senast 2050. För att skapa insyn vad gäller batteriernas koldioxidavtryck och styra unionsmarknaden mot batterier med lägre koldioxidutsläpp, oavsett var de tillverkas, är det motiverat med en gradvis och kumulativ höjning av kraven vad gäller koldioxidavtryck. Som ett resultat av dessa krav kommer de minskade koldioxidutsläppen under batteriernas livscykel att bidra till unionens klimatmål, särskilt målet att uppnå klimatneutralitet senast 2050. Detta skulle också kunna bidra till annan politik på unionsnivå och nationell nivå, genom incitament och miljöanpassad offentlig upphandling, i syfte att främja produktion av batterier med mindre miljöpåverkan.

(28) De högsta tröskelvärdena för koldioxidavtryck under hela livscykeln bör vara framtidssäkrade. Vid antagandet av en delegerad akt som fastställer det högsta tröskelvärdet för koldioxidavtrycket under hela livscykeln bör kommissionen därför ta hänsyn till bästa tillgängliga tillverknings- och produktionsprocesser och säkerställa att de tekniska kriterier som den väljer stämmer överens med målet i denna förordning om att säkerställa att de batterier som släpps ut på unionsmarknaden garanterar en hög skyddsnivå för människors hälsa och säkerhet samt egendom och miljön.

(29) Vissa ämnen som ingår i batterier, som kobolt, bly, litium eller nickel, utvinns ur knappa resurser som inte finns lätt tillgängliga i unionen, och vissa betraktas av kommissionen som råmaterial av avgörande betydelse. I linje med kommissionens meddelande av den 5 maj 2021, Uppdatering av industristrategin 2020: en starkare inre marknad för EU:s återhämtning, behöver unionen stärka sitt strategiska oberoende och sin motståndskraft inför potentiella försörjningsavbrott på grund av hälsokriser och andra kriser. Förbättrad cirkularitet och resurseffektivitet, genom ökad materialåtervinning och återvinning av dessa råmaterial kommer att bidra till uppnåendet av det målet.

(30) En ökad användning av återvunna råmaterial skulle ytterligare stödja utvecklingen av den cirkulära ekonomin och möjliggöra en mer resurseffektiv användning av råmaterial, samtidigt som unionens beroende av råmaterial från tredjeländer minskar. När det gäller batterier är detta särskilt relevant för kobolt, bly, litium och nickel. Det är därför nödvändigt att främja återvinningen av sådant material från avfall genom att fastställa ett krav på vilken andel återvunnet material som bör ingå i batterier som innehåller kobolt, bly, litium och nickel som aktiva material. I denna förordning bör det därför fastställas obligatoriska mål för återvunnet innehåll av kobolt, bly, litium och nickel, som bör uppnås senast 2031. För kobolt, litium och nickel bör höjda mål fastställas senast 2036. Alla mål bör ta hänsyn till tillgången på avfall från vilket sådana material kan återvinnas, den tekniska genomförbarheten för de berörda återvinnings- och tillverkningsprocesserna, samt den tid som ekonomiska aktörer behöver för att anpassa sina leverans- och tillverkningsprocesser. Innan de obligatoriska målen blir tillämpliga bör därför kravet avseende återvunnet innehåll begränsas till offentliggörande av information om återvunnet innehåll. Avfall från batteritillverkning kommer sannolikt att vara den huvudsakliga källan till sekundära råmaterial för batteritillverkning på grund av produktionsökningen av batterier och bör omfattas av samma materialåtervinningsprocesser som konsumtionsavfall. Därför bör batteritillverkningsavfall räknas som en del av målen för återvunnet innehåll i syfte att påskynda utvecklingen av den nödvändiga infrastrukturen för återvinning. Biprodukter från batteritillverkning som återanvänds i produktionsprocessen, såsom tillverkningsskrot, utgör dock inte avfall och bör därför inte räknas som en del av målen för återvunnet innehåll.

(31) I syfte att ta hänsyn till risken för bristande försörjning av kobolt, bly, litium och nickel och för att bedöma dessa råmaterials tillgänglighet bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen med avseende på att ändra målen för minimiandelen återvunnet innehåll av kobolt, bly, litium eller nickel i aktiva material i batterier.

(32) I syfte att ta hänsyn till sådana ändringar i batteriteknik som påverkar vilka typer av material som går att återvinna bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen för att komplettera denna förordning genom att inkludera ytterligare råmaterial och tillhörande mål i förteckningen över minimiandel återvunnet innehåll i aktiva material i batterier.

(33) I syfte att säkerställa att beräkningen och kontrollen av procentandelen av kobolt, bly, litium och nickel som återvunnits är tillförlitliga och pålitliga samt säkerställa att det är större rättssäkerhet bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen för att komplettera denna förordning genom att fastställa metodiken för beräkningen och kontrollen av procentandelen kobolt, bly, litium eller nickel som ingår i aktiva material och som återvunnits från batteritillverkningsavfall eller konsumtionsavfall, och procentandelen bly som ingår i batteriet och som återvunnits från avfall samt för formatet för den tekniska dokumentationen av dessa procentandelar per batterimodell och per tillverkningsanläggning. Återanvändning av material från omarbetning, omslipning eller skrot som genererats i batteritillverkningsprocessen, och som kan återvinnas inom samma process som genererat materialet, bör undantas från den metoden.

Skäl 34–43: Prestanda, hållbarhet och säkerhet (jfr art 9, 10, 11 och 12)

(34) De batterier som släpps ut på unionsmarknaden bör vara hållbara och ha hög prestanda. Det är därför nödvändigt att fastställa prestanda- och hållbarhetsparametrar för bärbara batterier för allmänt bruk och för laddningsbara industribatterier, batterier för lätta transportmedel och elfordonsbatterier. När det gäller elfordonsbatterier har Uneces informella arbetsgrupp för elfordon och miljö utarbetat hållbarhetskrav för fordon, som ska tillämpas i unionen genom en framtida förordning om typgodkännande av motorfordon och motorer samt av system, komponenter och separata tekniska enheter som är avsedda för sådana fordon, med avseende på utsläpp och batteriers hållbarhet (Euro 7) (Euro 7-förordningen). Därför bör det i den här förordningen endast fastställas informationskrav för elfordonsbatteriers prestanda och hållbarhet. Å andra sidan, när det gäller batterier för energilagring, anses de befintliga mätmetoder som används för att prova batteriers prestanda och hållbarhet inte vara tillräckligt exakta och representativa för att möjliggöra införandet av minimikrav. Införandet av minimikrav för dessa batteriers prestanda och hållbarhet bör åtföljas av lämpliga harmoniserade standarder eller gemensamma specifikationer.

(35) I syfte att minska den miljöpåverkan som batterier har under hela livscykeln bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen med avseende på att ändra prestanda- och hållbarhetsparametrarna för bärbara batterier för allmänt bruk och för laddningsbara industribatterier och fastställa minimivärden för dessa parametrar. Dessa delegerade akter bör också fastställa hur dessa minimivärden ska tillämpas på batterier som har varit föremål för återtillverkning.

(36) I syfte att säkerställa att unionens regler om elektrokemisk prestanda och hållbarhet för elfordonsbatterier stämmer överens med de tekniska specifikationerna från Uneces informella arbetsgrupp för elfordon och miljö och mot bakgrund av den tekniska och vetenskapliga utvecklingen, bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen med avseende på att ändra parametrarna för prestanda och hållbarhet för elfordonsbatterier. Vad gäller minimivärdena för de parametrar för elfordonsbatterier som ingår i motorfordon är det lämpligt att fastställa minimikrav på prestanda genom en framtida Euro 7-förordning om, på grundval av de minimikrav på prestanda som fastställs i Förenta nationernas (FN) globala tekniska föreskrifter nr 22 om batteriers hållbarhet för elfordon i drift.

(37) Vissa icke-laddningsbara batterier för allmänt bruk kan innebära en ineffektiv användning av resurser och energi. Det bör därför fastställas objektiva krav avseende sådana batteriers prestanda och hållbarhet i syfte att säkerställa att färre icke-laddningsbara bärbara batterier för allmänt bruk med låg prestanda släpps ut på marknaden, i synnerhet om det av en livscykelanalys framgår att användning av laddningsbara batterier i stället för icke-laddningsbara batterier ger övergripande miljöfördelar. För batterier som ingår i mobiltelefoner och surfplattor är det lämpligt att fastställa prestanda- och hållbarhetskrav för dessa batterier genom en framtida ekodesignförordning som rör telefoner och surfplattor och att uppdatera kommissionens förordning (EU) nr 617/2013 om datorer och datorservrar. För andra bärbara batterier som ingår i andra apparater, såsom trädgårdsverktyg eller sladdlösa elektriska handverktyg, bör möjligheten att fastställa minimikrav på prestanda och hållbarhet tas upp i relevanta produkträttsakter, till exempel genomförandeakter enligt Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2009/125/EG eller i någon annan unionsrättsakt.

(38) I syfte att säkerställa att bärbara batterier som ingår i apparater genomgår separat insamling, behandling och materialåtervinning av hög kvalitet när dessa apparater har blivit avfall, behövs bestämmelser för att säkerställa avlägsnandet och ersättandet av batterier i sådana apparater. Konsumenternas säkerhet bör säkerställas, i enlighet med unionsrätten och i synnerhet unionens säkerhetsnormer, när bärbara batterier i en apparat avlägsnas eller ersätts. Ett bärbart batteri bör anses kunna avlägsnas av slutanvändaren om det kan avlägsnas med hjälp av kommersiellt tillgängliga verktyg och utan att det krävs användning av specialverktyg, såvida de inte tillhandahålls kostnadsfritt, eller märkesskyddade verktyg, värmeenergi eller lösningsmedel för att demontera det. Kommersiellt tillgängliga verktyg anses vara verktyg som är tillgängliga på marknaden för alla slutanvändare utan att de behöver tillhandahålla bevis på äganderätt och som kan användas utan begränsningar, utom av hälso- och säkerhetsrelaterade inskränkningar. De allmänna bestämmelserna i denna förordning bör tillämpas utan att det påverkar säkerhets- och underhållskraven för medicintekniska produkter för yrkesmässig medicinsk bildteknik och radioterapi som avses i Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) 2017/745 och för medicintekniska produkter för in vitro-diagnostik enligt definitionen i Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) 2017/746, och skulle kunna kompletteras med krav som fastställs för vissa produkter som drivs med batterier inom ramen för genomförandeåtgärder enligt direktiv 2009/125/EG. Om det i annan unionsrätt, av säkerhetsskäl, fastställs mer specifika krav, som att batterier måste kunna avlägsnas ur produkter, till exempel leksaker, bör dessa särskilda regler tillämpas.

(39) För att säkerställa slutanvändarnas säkerhet bör denna förordning föreskriva ett begränsat undantag för bärbara batterier från de krav på möjlighet att avlägsna och ersätta batterier som fastställts för bärbara batterier vad avser apparater vari bärbara batterier ingår och som är särskilt utformade för att, under merparten av det aktiva bruket av apparaten, användas i en miljö som regelbundet innebär stänkvatten, strömmande vatten eller vattennedsänkning och som är avsedda att vara tvättbara eller sköljbara. Detta undantag bör endast gälla när det inte är möjligt att genom en ny konstruktion av apparaten säkerställa slutanvändarens säkerhet och en säker fortsatt användning av apparaten efter det att slutanvändaren korrekt har följt instruktionerna för att avlägsna och ersätta batteriet. Om undantaget gäller bör produkten utformas så att batteriet kan avlägsnas och ersättas endast av oberoende yrkesutövare och inte av slutanvändare.

(40) För reparerade elfordonsbatterier och startbatterier gäller säkerhetskraven i Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) 2019/2144 för typgodkända fordon i kategorierna M, N och O och batterier som konstruerats och tillverkats för dessa fordon. Det är viktigt att sådana batteriers säkerhet vid reparation kan bedömas baserat på icke-förstörande provningar som är anpassade för dem. När det gäller reparerade batterier för lätta transportmedel kommer kommissionen att utarbeta regler om säkerheten hos mikromobilitetsfordon, på grundval av erfarenheter på nationell och lokal nivå av säkerhetskrav, såsom tillkännagavs i kommissionens meddelande av den 14 december 2021 om EU:s nya ram för mobilitet i städer. För andra reparerade batterier som är avsedda för konsumenter eller som sannolikt kommer att användas av dem gäller kraven i Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2001/95/EG.

(41) Om laddarna för specifika batterikategorier blir kompatibla kan det minska onödigt avfall och onödiga kostnader, till nytta för konsumenter och andra slutanvändare. Batterier för lätta transportmedel och laddningsbara batterier som ingår i specifika kategorier av elektrisk och elektronisk utrustning bör därför kunna laddas upp med hjälp av gemensamma laddare som möjliggör driftskompatibilitet inom varje kategori av batterier. Denna förordning bör därför ålägga kommissionen att bedöma hur harmoniserade standarder kan införas för gemensamma laddare för dessa batterikategorier, med undantag för laddningsanordningar för kategorier och klasser av radioutrustning enligt Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2014/53/EU.

(42) Startbatterier och elfordonsbatterier som ingår i motorfordon bör kunna avlägsnas och ersättas av oberoende yrkesutövare. Det är lämpligt att överväga översyn av direktiv 2000/53/EG för att säkerställa att dessa batterier kan avlägsnas, ersättas och demonteras, inbegripet vad gäller fogning, fastsättning och försegling. Vid konstruktion, tillverkning och reparation av startbatterier och elfordonsbatterier bör tillverkare på ett icke-diskriminerande sätt tillhandahålla relevant information från system för omborddiagnos och information om reparation och underhåll av fordon till alla intresserade tillverkare och installatörer av eller verkstäder för utrustning för fordon i kategorierna M, N och O, i enlighet med förordning (EU) 2018/858. Dessutom bör kommissionen uppmuntra utarbetandet av standarder för konstruktions- och monteringsteknik som underlättar underhåll, reparation och ändamålsändring av batterier och batteripack.

(43) För många produkters, apparaters och tjänsters drift och säkerhet är det av avgörande betydelse att de batterier som används är tillförlitliga. Därför bör batterier utformas och tillverkas på ett sådant sätt att det är möjligt att säkerställa att de inte utgör någon risk för människors hälsa eller säkerhet, egendom eller miljö. Detta är särskilt relevant när det gäller stationära batterienergilagringssystem, vilka för närvarande inte omfattas av annan unionsrätt. De parametrar som ska beaktas vid säkerhetstester bör därför fastställas för sådana batterier och kompletteras av gällande standarder från europeiska standardiseringsorganisationer.

Skäl 44–46: Märkning och information (jfr art 13 och 14)

(44) Batterier bör märkas så att slutanvändare får transparent, tillförlitlig och tydlig information om batterier och förbrukade batterier. Denna information kunde göra det möjligt för slutanvändare att fatta välgrundade beslut när de köper och gör sig av med batterier och för avfallsoperatörerna att på lämpligt sätt behandla förbrukade batterier. Batterier bör märkas med all nödvändig information om deras huvudsakliga egenskaper, inklusive deras kapacitet och mängden av vissa farliga ämnen som ingår. För att säkerställa att informationen finns tillgänglig över tid bör den också göras tillgänglig med hjälp av QR-koder, som är tryckta eller graverade på batterier eller anbringats på förpackningen och på de medföljande dokumenten och bör respektera riktlinjerna i ISO/IEC-standard 18004:2015. QR-koden bör ge tillgång till ett batteris produktpass. Märkning och QR-koder bör vara tillgängliga för personer med funktionsnedsättning, i enlighet med Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv (EU) 2019/882.

(45) Införandet på batterimärkningen av information om batteriers prestanda är avgörande för att säkerställa att slutanvändarna, särskilt konsumenter, innan de köper dem ges lämplig information och i synnerhet att de har tillgång till en gemensam grund för att jämföra olika batterier. Därför bör icke-laddningsbara bärbara batterier märkas med en etikett som anger ”icke-laddningsbart” och som innehåller information om deras minsta genomsnittliga batteritid när de används i specifika tillämpningar. Det är dessutom viktigt att ge slutanvändaren vägledning om hur man kan göra sig av med förbrukade batterier på lämpligt sätt.

(46) För stationära batterienergilagringssystem, batterier för lätta transportmedel och elfordonsbatterier som använder ett batterihanteringssystem bör det vara möjligt för slutanvändaren eller annan tredje part som agerar för slutanvändarens räkning att när som helst utifrån de uppgifter som lagras i batterihanteringssystemet fastställa batteriernas hälsotillstånd och förväntade livslängd. En person som har köpt ett batteri, eller en tredje part som agerar för den personens räkning, bör alltid ges skrivskyddad åtkomst till dessa uppgifter i syfte att bedöma batteriets restvärde, förenkla förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring, ändamålsändring, eller återtillverkning, eller så att batteriet kan göras tillgängligt för oberoende aggregatorer, i enlighet med definitionen i Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv (EU) 2019/944, som driver virtuella kraftverk i elnäten. Dessa uppgifter bör därför vara aktuella. De bör uppdateras minst dagligen och oftare om detta krävs för ett särskilt ändamål. De tekniska specifikationerna från arbetet i Uneces informella arbetsgrupp för elfordon och miljö vad gäller dataåtkomst i elfordon bör betraktas som ett riktmärke för elfordonsbatteriers hälsotillstånd och förväntade livslängd. Dessa krav bör gälla utöver unionsrätten om typgodkännande av fordon, som är den lämpliga rättsliga ramen för bland annat smarta laddningsfunktioner såsom laddning av fordon till nät, ombordladdning samt laddning fordon till fordon, fordon till powerbank och fordon till byggnad.

Skäl 47–50: Standardisering och överensstämmelse (jfr art 15, 16 och 18)

(47) Ett antal produktspecifika krav enligt denna förordning, bland annat avseende prestanda, hållbarhet, ändamålsändring samt säkerhet, bör kontrolleras med tillförlitliga, exakta och reproducerbara metoder som tar hänsyn till allmänt godtagna moderna metoder, standarder och beräkningsmetoder. I syfte att säkerställa att det inte finns några handelshinder på den inre marknaden bör standarderna harmoniseras på unionsnivå. Sådana metoder och standarder bör i största möjliga utsträckning beakta batteriernas verkliga användningsförhållanden, återspegla genomsnittskonsumentens beteende och vara robusta, för att avskräcka från försök till avsiktligt eller oavsiktligt kringgående. Så snart en hänvisning till en sådan standard har offentliggjorts i Europeiska unionens officiella tidning i enlighet med Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) nr 1025/2012, bör det antas att batterier som möter den standarden överensstämmer med de produktspecifika kraven enligt den här förordningen, på villkor att de minimivärden som fastställts för de produktspecifika kraven har uppnåtts. För att undvika en dubblering av tekniska specifikationer å ena sidan, och för att maximera effektiviteten och beakta de bästa möjliga expertkunskaperna och den senaste kunskapsnivån å andra sidan, bör kommissionen sträva efter att begära att en eller flera europeiska standardiseringsorganisationer utarbetar en standard om det inte finns någon befintlig standard. I avsaknad av offentliggjorda standarder vid tidpunkten för tillämpningen av produktspecifika krav eller om responsen från den relevanta europeiska standardiseringsorganisationen inte blir den önskade bör kommissionen i motiverade undantagsfall och efter samråd med berörda aktörer anta gemensamma specifikationer genom genomförandeakter. Efterlevnad av sådana specifikationer bör också leda till presumtion om överensstämmelse. I de fall då de gemensamma specifikationerna i ett senare skede visar sig ha brister bör kommissionen genom en genomförandeakt ändra eller upphäva de gemensamma specifikationerna i fråga. Efter att referenserna till de harmoniserade standarderna offentliggörs i Europeiska unionens officiella tidning bör gemensamma specifikationer upphävas inom en rimlig tidsfrist som ger tillverkare möjlighet att ta hänsyn till ändringarna.

(48) Aktivt engagemang i internationella standardiseringskommittéers arbete är en viktig strategisk förutsättning för att släppa ut framtida batteriteknik på marknaden. Det europeiska engagemanget i vissa av dessa kommittéer har varit mindre effektivt än vad det kunde ha varit. Det europeiska engagemanget bör förbättras för att stärka unionens röst i den globala standardiseringen, och även i syfte att stärka unionsföretagens konkurrenskraft, minska unionens beroende och skydda unionens intressen, politiska mål och värden. Därför bör kommissionen och medlemsstaterna övervaka och samordna den europeiska strategin för internationell standardisering. Harmoniserade standarder som kompletterar genomförandet av denna förordning bör ta hänsyn till befintliga internationella standarder, särskilt på IEC- och ISO-nivå.

(49) Kommissionen bör säkerställa konsekvens när det gäller harmoniserade standarder och gemensamma specifikationer enligt denna förordning, inbegripet vid översynen av förordning (EU) nr 1025/2012.

(50) I syfte att säkerställa effektiv tillgång till information för marknadskontrolländamål, för anpassning till ny teknik och för att säkerställa motståndskraft vid globala kriser, såsom covid-19-pandemin, bör det vara möjligt att lämna information online om överensstämmelse med alla unionsakter som är tillämpliga på batterier, i form av en samlad EU-försäkran om överensstämmelse.

Skäl 51–62: Bedömning av överensstämmelse och anmälda organ (jfr art 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 och 37)

(51) I Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EG) nr 765/2008 fastställs regler för ackreditering av organ för bedömning av överensstämmelse, en ram för marknadskontroll av produkter och för kontroll av produkter från tredjeländer samt allmänna principer för CE-märkning. Den förordningen bör vara tillämplig på de batterier som omfattas av den här förordningen för att säkerställa att produkter som omfattas av den fria rörligheten för varor inom unionen uppfyller krav som ger en hög skyddsnivå för allmänintresset, såsom människors hälsa och säkerhet och miljön.

(52) För att ekonomiska aktörer ska kunna visa och de behöriga myndigheterna ska kunna kontrollera att de batterier som tillhandahålls på marknaden överensstämmer med denna förordning måste det fastställas förfaranden för bedömning av överensstämmelse. I Europaparlamentets och rådets beslut 768/2008/EG fastställs olika moduler för förfaranden för bedömning av överensstämmelse, vilka sträcker sig från lägsta till högsta strikthetsgrad, beroende på vilken risknivå det är fråga om och den säkerhetsnivå som krävs. När det krävs en bedömning av överensstämmelsen ska, i enlighet med beslutet, förfarandena för den bedömningen väljas ut bland dessa moduler. Robusta förfaranden för bedömning av överensstämmelse behövs för att säkerställa att batterier uppfyller de nya och komplexa krav avseende koldioxidavtryck och återvunnet innehåll samt krav avseende tillbörlig aktsamhet som fastställs i denna förordning.

(53) CE-märkningen på ett batteri visar att batteriet överensstämmer med denna förordning. Allmänna principer för CE-märkningen och för hur denna förhåller sig till annan märkning fastställs i förordning (EG) nr 765/2008. De principerna bör tillämpas på CE-märkningen av batterier. För att säkerställa att batterier förvaras, används och kasseras på ett sätt som är säkert med hänsyn till människors hälsa och miljön bör det fastställas särskilda regler för hur CE-märkningen ska anbringas på batterier.

(54) Organen för bedömning av överensstämmelse måste delta i de förfaranden för bedömning av överensstämmelse som fastställs i denna förordning. För att säkerställa ett enhetligt genomförande av bestämmelserna i denna förordning bör medlemsstaternas myndigheter anmäla dessa organ till kommissionen.

(55) Med hänsyn till att hållbarhets-, prestanda-, säkerhets-, märknings- och informationskraven för batterier enligt denna förordning är nya och komplexa, och för att säkerställa en konsekvent kvalitetsnivå i bedömningen av batteriers överensstämmelse, är det nödvändigt att fastställa krav avseende de anmälande myndigheter som är involverade i bedömning, anmälan och övervakning av de organ för bedömning av överensstämmelse som har anmälts till kommissionen och därmed bli anmälda organ. Det bör särskilt säkerställas att den anmälande myndigheten är objektiv och opartisk i sin verksamhet och har tillräckligt med tekniskt kompetent personal för att kunna utföra sina uppgifter. De anmälande myndigheterna bör se till att de uppgifter som de erhåller behandlas konfidentiellt, men de bör kunna utbyta information om anmälda organ med nationella myndigheter, de anmälande myndigheterna i andra medlemsstater och med kommissionen, för att säkerställa enhetlighet i bedömningen av överensstämmelse.

(56) Det är av största vikt att alla anmälda organ utför sina uppgifter på samma nivå, på rättvisa konkurrensvillkor och autonomt. Därför bör det i denna förordning fastställas krav för de organ för bedömning av överensstämmelse som vill bli anmälda för att utföra bedömningar av överensstämmelse. Kraven bör fortsätta att gälla som en förutsättning för att det anmälda organets kompetens hålls uppdaterad. För att säkra sitt oberoende bör det anmälda organet och den personal som det anställer åläggas att förbli oberoende av ekonomiska aktörer i batterivärdekedjan och gentemot andra företag, inbegripet näringslivsorganisationer, moderbolag och dotterbolag. Det anmälda organet bör åläggas att tillhandahålla styrkande handlingar om sitt oberoende och lämna in sådana handlingar till den anmälande myndigheten. De anmälda organen bör se till att den personal som utför olika bedömningar av överensstämmelse roterar.

(57) Om ett organ för bedömning av överensstämmelse visar att ett batteri uppfyller kriterierna i de harmoniserade standarderna bör även de motsvarande kraven i denna förordning anses vara uppfyllda.

(58) Organ för bedömning av överensstämmelse lägger ofta ut verksamhet kopplad till bedömningen av överensstämmelse på underentreprenad eller anlitar ett dotterbolag. Viss verksamhet och vissa beslutsprocesser, både vad gäller bedömning av batteriers överensstämmelse och annan verksamhet inom det anmälda organet, bör dock uteslutande utföras av det anmälda organet självt, för att säkerställa dess oberoende och autonomi. I syfte att säkerställa den skyddsnivå som krävs när det gäller batterier som är avsedda att släppas ut på unionsmarknaden är det viktigt vid bedömning av överensstämmelse i enlighet med denna förordning att de underentreprenörer och dotterbolag som utför bedömningarna uppfyller samma krav som de anmälda organen.

(59) Eftersom de tjänster som anmälda organ i en medlemsstat erbjuder kan avse batterier som tillhandahålls på marknaden i hela unionen, bör övriga medlemsstater och kommissionen beredas tillfälle att göra invändningar rörande ett anmält organ. Kommissionen kan under sin utredning rådfråga en unionsprovningsanläggning, utsedd i enlighet med Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) 2019/1020. I syfte att säkerställa enhetliga villkor för genomförandet av denna förordning bör kommissionen tilldelas genomförandebefogenheter med avseende på att begära att den anmälande myndigheten vidtar korrigerande åtgärder om ett anmält organ inte uppfyller eller inte längre uppfyller kraven i denna förordning.

(60) För att underlätta och påskynda förfarandet för bedömning av överensstämmelse, certifiering och slutligen marknadstillträde, och med tanke på att de hållbarhets-, säkerhets-, märknings- och informationskrav för batterier som föreskrivs i denna förordning är nya och komplexa, är det av avgörande betydelse att anmälda organ har kontinuerlig tillgång till all provningsutrustning och alla provningsanläggningar som behövs och att de tillämpar förfarandena utan att skapa en onödig börda för ekonomiska aktörer. Av samma skäl och för att säkerställa likabehandling av ekonomiska aktörer är det nödvändigt att anmälda organ tillämpar förfarandena för bedömning av överensstämmelse konsekvent.

(61) Innan ett slutligt beslut fattas om huruvida ett batteri kan beviljas ett intyg om överensstämmelse bör den ekonomiska aktör som vill släppa ut batteriet på marknaden ha rätt att inlämna kompletterande dokumentation om batteriet en gång.

(62) Kommissionen bör möjliggöra lämplig samordning och lämpligt samarbete mellan anmälda organ.

Skäl 63–76: Ekonomiska aktörers skyldigheter (jfr art 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 och 46)

(63) Det är lämpligt att fastställa de ekonomiska aktörernas skyldigheter i samband med utsläppande på marknaden eller ibruktagande av batterier. Vid tillämpningen av denna förordning bör ekonomisk aktör anses omfatta tillverkaren, tillverkarens bemyndigade företrädare, importören, distributören, leverantörerna av distributionstjänster och varje annan fysisk eller juridisk person som omfattas av skyldigheter i samband med tillverkning av batterier, utsläppande och tillhandahållande på marknaden och ibruktagande. Batterier bör vid tillämpningen av denna förordning omfatta batterier som har varit föremål för förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring, ändamålsändring eller återtillverkning.

(64) Det är lämpligt att föreskriva att kraven för batterier som tas i bruk utan att först släppas ut på marknaden bör vara desamma som för batterier som släpps ut på marknaden före de tas i bruk. Detta gäller till exempel batterier som tillverkaren använder för egna ändamål eller batterier som på grund av sina egenskaper endast kan monteras och provas på plats i slutdestinationen. För att undvika att behöva visa efterlevnad av kraven två gånger för samma produkt, bör batterier som släpps ut på marknaden dock inte omfattas av samma krav när de tas i bruk.

(65) Ekonomiska aktörer bör bära ansvaret för att se till att batterier uppfyller kraven i denna förordning, utifrån vilken roll de olika ekonomiska aktörerna har i leveranskedjan, så att en hög skyddsnivå säkerställs avseende allmänintresset, som skydd av människors hälsa och säkerhet samt egendom och miljön.

(66) Alla ekonomiska aktörer i leverans- och distributionskedjan bör vidta lämpliga åtgärder för att säkerställa att de endast tillhandahåller batterier som överensstämmer med denna förordning på marknaden. Det måste göras en tydlig och proportionell fördelning av skyldigheter som motsvarar varje ekonomisk aktörs roll i leverans- och distributionskedjan.

(67) Tillverkaren, som besitter detaljkunskap om utformnings- och tillverkningsprocessen, är den som bäst kan genomföra förfarandet för bedömning av överensstämmelse. Bedömning av överensstämmelse bör därför även i fortsättningen uteslutande vara tillverkarens skyldighet.

(68) Tillverkaren bör tillhandahålla information om batteriets avsedda användning, vilken bör vara tillräckligt detaljerad för att möjliggöra korrekt och säkert utsläppande på marknaden, ibruktagande, användning och avfallshantering, inklusive eventuell ändamålsändring.

(69) För att underlätta kommunikationen mellan ekonomiska aktörer, marknadskontrollmyndigheter och slutanvändare bör ekonomiska aktörer i sina kontaktuppgifter ange en post-, och om en sådan finns en e-post- och en webbadress.

(70) Den inre marknaden bör säkerställa lika konkurrensvillkor för alla ekonomiska aktörer och skydda dem mot illojal konkurrens. I detta syfte är det nödvändigt med en förstärkt tillsyn av harmoniserad unionslagstiftning om batterier. Ett gott samarbete mellan ekonomiska aktörer och marknadskontrollmyndigheter är en viktig faktor i en sådan förstärkt tillsyn, som gör det möjligt att omedelbart ingripa och vidta korrigerande åtgärder. Det är viktigt att det finns en ekonomisk aktör som är etablerad i unionen, så att det finns någon som marknadskontrollmyndigheterna kan kontakta för begäranden, däribland begäranden om information angående ett batteris överensstämmelse med harmoniserad unionslagstiftning, och som kan samarbeta med marknadskontrollmyndigheter för att se till att omedelbara korrigerande åtgärder vidtas för att avhjälpa fall av bristande överensstämmelse. De ekonomiska aktörer som bör fullgöra dessa uppgifter är tillverkaren eller importören – om tillverkaren inte är etablerad i unionen – eller ett behörigt ombud som anlitats av tillverkaren för detta ändamål, eller en leverantör av distributionstjänster som är etablerad i unionen, för batterier som hanteras av den leverantören, om ingen annan ekonomisk aktör är etablerad i unionen.

(71) Det måste säkerställas att de batterier från tredjeländer som förs in på unionsmarknaden överensstämmer med kraven i denna förordning och med annan tillämplig unionsrätt, oavsett om de importeras enskilt eller infogas i eller tillförs produkter, och det måste framför allt säkerställas att tillverkare har underkastat batterierna lämpliga förfaranden för bedömning av överensstämmelse. Det bör därför föreskrivas att importörer måste se till att de batterier som de släpper ut på marknaden och som tas i bruk uppfyller kraven i denna förordning och att den CE-märkning av batterier och den dokumentation som tas fram av tillverkare är tillgängliga för kontroll av de nationella myndigheterna, oavsett om de är importerade som nya eller förbrukade batterier eller batterier som har varit föremål för förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring, ändamålsändring, eller återtillverkning.

(72) När ett batteri släpps ut på marknaden eller tas i bruk bör importören ange sitt namn, sitt registrerade firmanamn eller registrerade varumärke samt sin post-, e-post- och webbadress, om tillgänglig på batteriet. Undantag bör medges i de fall då batteriets storlek är för liten för att informationen ska kunna anbringas på batteriet eller då importören skulle behöva öppna förpackningen för att anbringa importörens namn, registrerade firmanamn eller registrerade varumärke och övriga kontaktuppgifter. I dessa undantagsfall bör importören lämna informationen i ett dokument som medföljer batteriet eller på annat direkt tillgängligt sätt. Om det finns en förpackning bör importören ange informationen på förpackningen.

(73) När en distributör tillhandahåller ett batteri på marknaden, efter det att det har släppts ut på marknaden eller tagits i bruk av tillverkaren eller importören, bör distributören iaktta vederbörlig omsorg för att säkerställa att hanteringen av produkten inte inverkar negativt på produktens överensstämmelse med kraven i denna förordning.

(74) Alla importörer eller distributörer som släpper ut ett batteri på marknaden eller ansvarar för ibruktagandet, i eget namn eller under eget varumärke, eller som ändrar ett batteri på ett sådant sätt att kunde påverka överensstämmelsen med kraven i denna förordning eller ändrar den avsedda användningen av ett batteri som redan släppts ut på marknaden, bör anses vara tillverkare och överta tillverkarens skyldigheter som föreskrivs i denna förordning.

(75) Eftersom distributörer, importörer och leverantörer av distributionstjänster befinner sig nära marknaden bör de medverka i de nationella myndigheternas marknadskontroll och vara beredda att delta aktivt genom att förse dessa myndigheter med alla nödvändiga uppgifter om det berörda batteriet.

(76) Marknadskontrollen blir enklare och effektivare om man kan säkerställa batteriets spårbarhet genom hela leveranskedjan, något som ger konsumenterna insyn. Ett effektivt spårbarhetssystem gör det enklare för marknadskontrollmyndigheterna att spåra ekonomiska aktörer som släpper ut, tillhandahåller eller tar i bruk batterier som inte uppfyller kraven. Ekonomiska aktörer bör därför vara skyldiga att bevara information om sina transaktioner som inkluderar batterier under en viss period, också i elektronisk form.

Skäl 77–94: Tillbörlig aktsamhet i leveranskedjan (jfr art 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 och 53)

(77) Utvinning, bearbetning och handel med naturresurser är grundläggande för försörjningen med de råmaterial som krävs för batteriproduktionen. Batteritillverkare skulle kunna, oavsett vilken ställning de har eller vilket inflytande de utövar vad gäller leverantörerna och deras geografiska läge, oavsiktligen bidra till negativa effekter i leveranskedjan för mineraler. Beträffande vissa råmaterial är mer än hälften av den globala produktionen avsedd för batteriproduktion. Mer än 50 % av den globala efterfrågan på kobolt och mer än 60 % av efterfrågan på litium avser batteritillverkning. Omkring 8 % av den globala produktionen av naturlig grafit och 6 % av den globala produktionen av nickel går till batteritillverkning.

(78) Endast ett fåtal länder levererar de råmaterial som används vid batteritillverkning och i vissa fall kan låga förvaltningsstandarder i dessa länder kan innebära att miljömässiga och sociala problem förvärras. Både utvinningen och raffineringen av kobolt och nickel är kopplade till en lång rad sociala och miljömässiga problem. Även om de sociala och miljömässiga konsekvenserna är mindre allvarliga när det gäller naturlig grafit, kan utvinningen av naturlig grafit ha allvarliga hälso- och miljöeffekter eftersom den främst sker genom hantverksmässig och småskalig verksamhet och främst i informella sammanhang. Detta, tillsammans med avsaknaden av regelbundet uppdaterade planer för nedläggning av gruvor och efterbehandling, kan leda till förstörelse av ekosystem och mark. Den väntade ökningen av användningen av litium inom batteritillverkningen kommer sannolikt att öka trycket på utvinnings- och raffineringsverksamheten. Det är därför lämpligt att litium ingår i tillämpningsområdet för skyldigheterna vad gäller tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier. Den väntade massiva ökningen av efterfrågan på batterier i unionen bör inte bidra till att dessa miljömässiga och sociala risker ökar.

(79) Vissa av de råmaterial som används vid batteritillverkning, som kobolt, litium och naturlig grafit, betraktas som råmaterial av avgörande betydelse för unionen, vilket kommissionen anger i sitt meddelande av den 3 september 2020, Resiliens för råvaror av avgörande betydelse: Att staka ut vägen mot ökad trygghet och hållbarhet, och måste anskaffas på ett hållbart sätt för att unionens batteriekosystem ska kunna fungera tillfredsställande.

(80) Ett antal frivilliga insatser från aktörer i batterileveranskedjan har redan införts för att uppmuntra till efterlevnad av metoder för hållbar anskaffning, bland annat initiativet för ansvarsfull gruvdrift (Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance), initiativet för ansvarsfulla mineral (Responsible Minerals Initiative) och ramverket för ansvarsfull bedömning av kobolt (Cobalt Industry Responsible Assessment Framework). Det är emellertid inte säkert att frivilliga insatser för att inrätta system för tillbörlig aktsamhet kommer att säkerställa att alla ekonomiska aktörer som släpper ut batterier på unionsmarknaden följer samma minimiregler.

(81) Allmänna krav på tillbörlig aktsamhet beträffande vissa mineraler och metaller infördes i unionen genom Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) 2017/821. Denna förordning omfattar emellertid inte de mineraler och material som används för batteritillverkning.

(82) Med tanke på den väntade exponentiella ökningen av efterfrågan på batterier i unionen bör en ekonomisk aktör som släpper ut ett batteri på unionsmarknaden införa en strategi för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier. Krav bör därför fastställas i denna förordning för att hantera de sociala och miljömässiga risker som är förknippade med utvinning, bearbetning och handel med vissa råmaterial och sekundära råmaterial för batteritillverkning. En sådan strategi bör omfatta alla aktörer i leveranskedjan samt deras dotterbolag och underleverantörer som utvinner, bearbetar och handlar med vissa råmaterial och sekundära råmaterial.

(83) Vid inrättandet av en riskbaserad policy för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier bör den ekonomiska aktören basera den på internationellt erkända standarder och principer om tillbörlig aktsamhet, till exempel Förenta nationernas vägledande principer för företag och mänskliga rättigheter, de tio principerna i Förenta nationernas Global Compact-initiativ, Förenta nationernas miljöprogram (Unep), riktlinjerna för bedömning av varors sociala livscykelkostnader, Internationella arbetsorganisationens (ILO) trepartsdeklaration om principer som rör multinationella företag och socialpolitik, Organisationen för ekonomiskt samarbete och utvecklings (OECD) riktlinjer för multinationella företag samt OECD:s riktlinjer om tillbörlig aktsamhet inom ansvarsfullt företagande. Dessa standarder och principer som varje ekonomisk aktör bör anpassa till sitt specifika sammanhang och sina särskilda omständigheter baseras på gemensamma värderingar som delas av regeringar och berörda parter. När det gäller utvinning och bearbetning av och handel med naturresurser i form av mineral för batteriproduktion utgör OECD:s riktlinjer om tillbörlig aktsamhet för ansvarsfulla leveranskedjor för mineraler från konfliktdrabbade områden och högriskområden en internationellt erkänd standard för att hantera de specifika riskerna för grova kränkningar av de mänskliga rättigheterna, och en långvarig insats från regeringarnas och de berörda parternas sida för att fastställa god praxis på detta område.

(84) Enligt FN:s, ILO:s och OECD:s standarder och principer är tillbörlig aktsamhet en ständigt pågående, proaktiv och reaktiv process genom vilken företag kan säkerställa att de iakttar de mänskliga rättigheterna och miljön och inte bidrar till konflikter. Med riskbaserad tillbörlig aktsamhet avses de åtgärder som företagen bör vidta för att identifiera, förhindra, mildra och på annat sätt hantera de negativa effekterna av företagens verksamhet och anskaffningsbeslut. Ekonomiska aktörer bör genomföra informerade, effektiva och meningsfulla samråd med berörda grupper. Ett företag kan bedöma de risker som dess verksamhet och förbindelser utgör och anta riskreducerande åtgärder, såsom att begära ytterligare information, förhandla i syfte att lösa situationen eller inställa eller avbryta förbindelserna med leverantörerna, i linje med relevanta standarder i nationell och internationell rätt, rekommendationer från internationella organisationer om ansvarsfullt företagande, statligt stödda verktyg, frivilliga initiativ från den privata sektorn och företagets interna policy och system. Härigenom bidrar företaget också till att anpassa förfarandet för tillbörlig aktsamhet i proportion till omfattningen på företagets verksamhet eller till dess förbindelser i leveranskedjan.

(85) Även om system för tillbörlig aktsamhet i den privata sektorn kan stödja ekonomiska aktörer vid fullgörandet av deras skyldigheter vad gäller tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier i linje med OECD:s riktlinjer för multinationella företag och FN:s vägledande principer för företag och mänskliga rättigheter, bör ekonomiska aktörer vara individuellt ansvariga för uppfylla de skyldigheter avseende tillbörlig aktsamhet för batterier som fastställs i denna förordning.

(86) Obligatoriska policyer för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier bör antas eller ändras och bör åtminstone omfatta de mest relevanta sociala och miljömässiga riskkategorierna. En sådan policy bör omfatta de nuvarande och förutsebara konsekvenserna för sociala frågor, särskilt de mänskliga rättigheterna, människors hälsa och säkerhet, samt hälsa och säkerhet på arbetsplatsen och arbetstagares rättigheter, å ena sidan, och för miljön, särskilt vad gäller vattenanvändning, markskydd, luftföroreningar, klimatförändringar och biologisk mångfald, liksom skydd av samhällslivet, å andra sidan.

(87) När det gäller de sociala riskkategorierna bör policyer för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier inriktas på riskerna i relation till skyddet av mänskliga rättigheter, inbegripet människors hälsa, samhällsliv, även ursprungsbefolkningars, skydd av barn och jämställdhet, i enlighet med internationell människorättslagstiftning. Policyerna för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier bör omfatta information om hur den ekonomiska aktören har bidragit till att förhindra kränkningar av de mänskliga rättigheterna och om de instrument som finns i aktörens företagsstruktur för att bekämpa korruption och bestickning. Policyerna för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier bör också säkerställa ett korrekt genomförande av reglerna i ILO:s grundläggande konventioner, enligt förteckningen i bilaga I till ILO:s trepartsdeklaration om principer som rör multinationella företag och socialpolitik.

(88) Det är vanligt med kränkningar av de mänskliga rättigheterna i resursrika konfliktdrabbade områden och högriskområden. Sådana områden förtjänar därför särskild uppmärksamhet i ekonomiska aktörers policyer för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier för tillbörlig aktsamhet. Förordning (EU) 2017/821 innehåller bestämmelser om en vägledande, icke-uttömmande och regelbundet uppdaterad förteckning över konfliktdrabbade områden och högriskområden. Den förteckningen är också relevant för genomförandet av bestämmelserna om tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier i denna förordning.

(89) När det gäller miljöriskkategorierna bör policyerna för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier ta itu med riskerna för skyddet av den naturliga miljön och den biologiska mångfalden i enlighet med konventionen om biologisk mångfald, vilken beaktar lokalsamhällena och skydd och utveckling av dessa. Policyer för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier bör också hantera riskerna vad gäller klimatförändringarna, i linje med Parisavtalet, som antogs den 12 december 2015 inom ramen för Förenta nationernas ramkonvention om klimatförändringar (FN:s Parisavtal), samt miljörisker som omfattas av andra internationella miljökonventioner.

(90) Kraven på tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier vad gäller identifiering och begränsning av sociala och miljömässiga risker i samband med de råmaterial som används för batteritillverkning bör vara sådana att de bidrar till genomförandet av FN:s miljöprograms resolution 4/19 om förvaltning av mineralresurser, i vilken det anges att gruvsektorn kan bidra på ett avgörande sätt till att Agenda 2030 och målen för hållbar utveckling uppnås.

(91) Andra unionsrättsakter i vilka det fastställs krav på tillbörlig aktsamhet i leveranskedjan bör tillämpas på batterier i de fall då det inte finns några särskilda bestämmelser med samma syfte, karaktär och verkan i denna förordning vilka kan anpassas mot bakgrund av framtida ändringar av lagstiftningen. Sådana rättsakter skulle kunna omfatta företags skadeståndsansvar för skador som uppstår på grund av att de inte uppfyller kraven på tillbörlig aktsamhet. Om sådana rättsakter inte eller inte helt tar upp de konsekvenser vad avser skadeståndsansvar som följer av skyldigheterna i denna förordning i fråga om tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier bör det vara möjligt att hantera dem genom nationella regler.

(92) I syfte att göra anpassningar till följd av utvecklingen i batterivärdekedjan, även vad gäller ändringar av de relevanta miljömässiga och sociala riskernas omfattning och art, och till följd av den tekniska och vetenskapliga utvecklingen när det gäller batterier och kemiska ämnen i batterier, bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen med avseende på att ändra förteckningen över råmaterial och riskkategorier, förteckningen över internationella instrument och skyldigheterna vad gäller tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier.

(93) I syfte att fastställa likvärdigheten hos system för tillbörlig aktsamhet som har utvecklats av regeringar, branschorganisationer och sammanslutningar av berörda organisationer bör kommissionen tilldelas genomförandebefogenheter.

(94) I syfte att möjliggöra en korrekt, sund och konsekvent utvärdering av system för tillbörlig aktsamhet bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen för att komplettera denna förordning genom att fastställa kriterier och metod för att fastställa om system för tillbörlig aktsamhet möjliggör för ekonomiska aktörer att uppfylla systemen för tillbörlig aktsamhet i denna förordning.

Skäl 95–112: Hantering av förbrukade batterier och producentansvar (jfr art 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63 och 64)

(95) Det behövs harmoniserade regler för avfallshantering för att säkerställa att producenter och andra ekonomiska aktörer omfattas av samma regler i alla medlemsstater vid genomförandet av det utökade producentansvaret för batterier och för att säkerställa en hög skyddsnivå för människors hälsa och miljön i hela unionen. Utökat producentansvar kan bidra till att minska den totala resursanvändningen, särskilt genom att minska genereringen av förbrukade batterier och de negativa effekterna av hanteringen av förbrukade batterier. För att uppnå höga resursåtervinningsnivåer är det nödvändigt att maximera den separata insamlingen av förbrukade batterier och säkerställa att alla insamlade förbrukade batterier återvinns genom processer som uppnår en gemensam lägsta materialåtervinningsnivå. I sin utvärdering av direktiv 2006/66/EG fann kommissionen att en av bristerna i det direktivet är att dess bestämmelser var otillräckligt detaljerade, vilket leder till ett ojämnt genomförande och till betydande hinder för återvinningsmarknadernas funktion och till att återvinningsnivåerna inte är optimala. Följaktligen skulle mer detaljerade och harmoniserade regler medföra att snedvridning av marknaden undviks vid insamling, behandling och materialåtervinning av förbrukade batterier och säkerställa ett jämnt genomförande av kraven i hela unionen. Det skulle också leda till ytterligare harmonisering av kvaliteten på de avfallshanteringstjänster som tillhandahålls av ekonomiska aktörer och främja funktionssättet för marknaderna för sekundära råmaterial.

(96) I syfte att säkerställa att skyldigheterna enligt denna förordning fullgörs och för att övervaka och kontrollera att producenter och producentansvarsorganisationer efterlever denna förordning är det nödvändigt att medlemsstaterna utser en eller flera behöriga myndigheter.

(97) Denna förordning bygger på de regler för avfallshantering och allmänna principer som fastställs i Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2008/98/EG, vilket bör anpassas för att återspegla förbrukade batteriers särskilda karaktär. För att möjliggöra en så effektiv organisation av insamlingen av förbrukade batterier som möjligt är det viktigt att insamlingen sker i närheten av den plats där batterierna säljs och även nära slutanvändaren. Förbrukade batterier bör samlas in separat, så att de skiljs från andra avfallsflöden, såsom metall, papper och kartong, glas, plast, trä, textilier och biologiskt avfall. Det bör dessutom vara möjligt att samla in förbrukade batterier både tillsammans med avfall som utgörs av eller innehåller elektriska eller elektroniska produkter och tillsammans med uttjänta fordon, inom ramen för nationella insamlingssystem som inrättats på grundval av Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2012/19/EU och direktiv 2000/53/EG. I direktiv 2006/66/EG fastställs särskilda regler för batterier, men det behövs en enhetlig och kompletterande strategi som bygger vidare på och ytterligare harmoniserar befintliga strukturer för avfallshantering. Följaktligen, och för att effektivt genomföra det utökade producentansvaret i samband med avfallshanteringen, bör skyldigheter fastställas med avseende på den medlemsstat där batterier tillhandahålls på marknaden första gången.

(98) För att kontrollera att producenter uppfyller sina skyldigheter vad gäller avfallsbehandling av batterier som tillhandahålls för första gången på en medlemsstats territorium är det nödvändigt att ett register upprättas och förvaltas av den behöriga myndigheten i varje medlemsstat. Informationen i registret bör vara tillgänglig för de enheter som har en roll i övervakningen av efterlevnaden och verkställandet av det utvidgade producentansvaret. Det registret bör kunna vara detsamma som det nationella register som upprättats i enlighet med direktiv 2006/66/EG. Producenter bör åläggas att registrera sig, så att den behöriga myndigheten får tillgång till den information som den behöver för att övervaka att producenter uppfyller sina skyldigheter. Registreringskraven bör förenklas i hela unionen.

(99) I händelse av statligt drivna producentansvarsorganisationer, eftersom det saknas fullmakt för en företrädd producent, är de krav som föreskrivs i denna förordning avseende sådan fullmakt inte tillämpliga.

(100) I enlighet med principen om att det är förorenaren som betalar är det lämpligt att införa skyldigheter för producenter när det gäller hanteringen av förbrukade batterier. I detta sammanhang bör med producenter förstås omfatta varje tillverkare, importör eller distributör som, oberoende av försäljningsmetod, inbegripet distansavtal enligt definitionen i artikel 2.7 i Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2011/83/EU om konsumenträttigheter, kommersiellt inom en medlemsstats territorium, levererar ett batteri för distribution eller användning för första gången, även batterier som ingår i apparater, lätta transportmedel eller andra fordon.

(101) Producenter bör ges utökat producentansvar för hanteringen av förbrukade batterier. De bör därför finansiera kostnaderna för insamling, behandling och återvinning av alla insamlade batterier, för sammansättningsundersökning av insamlat blandat kommunalt avfall, för rapportering om batterier och förbrukade batterier och för tillhandahållande av information till slutanvändare och avfallsaktörer om batterier och lämplig återanvändning och hantering av förbrukade batterier. De nya reglerna om utökat producentansvar enligt denna förordning är avsedda att säkerställa en hög miljö- och hälsoskyddsnivå i unionen genom att maximera den separata insamlingen av förbrukade batterier och säkerställa att alla insamlade batterier återvinns genom processer som uppnår en hög materialåtervinningsgrad och en hög resursåtervinningsnivå mot bakgrund av den tekniska och vetenskapliga utvecklingen. Skyldigheterna i samband med utökat producentansvar bör gälla alla former av tillhandahållande, även distansförsäljning. Producenter bör kunna fullgöra dessa skyldigheter kollektivt genom att producentansvarsorganisationerna tar på sig ansvaret för deras räkning. Det bör krävas ett godkännande för producenter och producentansvarsorganisationer och de bör visa att de har de ekonomiska medel som krävs för att täcka de kostnader som det utökade producentansvaret medför. När medlemsstaterna fastställer administrativa regler och förfaranderegler för godkännande av producenter för enskild efterlevnad och av producentansvarsorganisationer för kollektiv efterlevnad, bör de kunna göra åtskillnad mellan processer för enskilda producenter och producentansvarsorganisationer i syfte att begränsa den administrativa bördan för enskilda producenter. I detta sammanhang bör det vara möjligt att anse tillstånd som utfärdats i enlighet med direktiv 2008/98/EG vara ett godkännande vid tillämpningen av denna förordning. Om så krävs för att undvika snedvridning av den inre marknaden och i syfte att säkerställa enhetliga villkor för anpassning av de ekonomiska bidrag som producenter betalar till producentansvarsorganisationerna, bör kommissionen tilldelas genomförandebefogenheter. Avfallshanteringsaktörer som utför insamling och behandling i enlighet med denna förordning bör bli föremål för ett urvalsförfarande anordnat av producenter av de berörda batterierna eller av producentansvarsorganisationer som agerar för deras räkning, i enlighet med direktiv 2008/98/EG. Om avfallshanteringen äger rum i en annan medlemsstat än den där ett batteri tillhandahölls på marknaden för första gången, bör producenter täcka kostnaderna för avfallshanteringsaktörerna i den medlemsstat där avfallshanteringen äger rum. Vid diskussionen om möjliga förslag till unionslagstiftningsakter om uttjänta fordon och avfall som utgörs av eller innehåller elektrisk och elektronisk utrustning bör det övervägas att inrätta en gränsöverskridande mekanism för utökat producentansvar för förbrukade batterier, inbegripet sådana som ingår i fordon eller apparater, mellan de berörda aktörerna. Dessutom bör antagandet av andra åtgärder övervägas, till exempel informationshanterings- och kontrollverktyg, i förekommande fall inbegripet behöriga företrädare för utökat producentansvar, avfallshanteringsaktörer, producentansvarsorganisationer, digitala produktpass och producentregister samt nationella fordonsregistreringssystem när de omfattar elfordonsbatterier.

(102) Utökat producentansvar bör även tillämpas på för ekonomiska aktörer som släpper ut ett batteri på marknaden som är ett resultat av förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring, ändamålsändring, eller återtillverkning. Den ekonomiska aktör som ursprungligen släppte ut batteriet på marknaden bör därför inte stå för de ytterligare kostnader som skulle kunna uppstå i samband med den avfallshantering som följer av batteriets efterföljande användningstid. Det bör vara möjligt för de ekonomiska aktörer som omfattas av utökat producentansvar att införa en mekanism för kostnadsfördelning som baseras på fördelningen av de faktiska kostnaderna för avfallshanteringen.

(103) Denna förordning är en lex specialis med avseende på direktiv 2008/98/EG för minimikraven för utökat producentansvar: insamlings- och återvinningsmål, återtagande av distributörer samt andra livscykeln. Medlemsstater bör åläggas att definiera det utökade producentansvar som föreskrivs i denna förordning i enlighet med direktiv 2008/98/EG och med nationell rätt som införlivar det direktivet. Om det i kapitel VIII i denna förordning inte föreskrivs fullständig harmonisering bör medlemsstaterna dessutom kunna föreskriva ytterligare åtgärder avseende dessa specifika ämnen, förutsatt att sådana ytterligare föreskrifter är i enlighet med direktiv 2008/98/EG och i överensstämmelse både med nationell rätt som införlivar det direktivet och med denna förordning.

(104) I denna förordning bör det anges hur de skyldigheter vad avser näringsidkares spårbarhet som fastställs i Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) 2022/2065 ska tillämpas på onlineplattformar som gör det möjligt för konsumenter att ingå distansavtal med producenter som erbjuder batterier, inbegripet batterier som ingår i apparater, lätta transportmedel eller andra fordon, och på konsumenter i unionen med avseende på de register över producenter som inrättas enligt den här förordningen. Vid tillämpningen av denna förordning bör alla producenter som erbjuder batterier, inbegripet sådana som ingår i apparater, lätta transportmedel eller andra fordon, genom distansavtal direkt till konsumenter i en medlemsstat, oavsett om de är etablerade i en medlemsstat eller i ett tredjeland, betraktas som näringsidkare enligt definitionen i förordning (EU) 2022/2065. Enligt den förordningen bör leverantörer av onlineplattformar, som omfattas av tillämpningsområdet för kapitel III avsnitt 4 i den förordningen och som gör det möjligt för konsumenter att ingå distansavtal med producenter, från dessa producenter erhålla information om det producentregister där de är registrerade samt deras registreringsnummer och en självcertifiering med ett åtagande om att uppfylla kraven på utökat producentansvar i den här förordningen. Genomförandet av reglerna för näringsidkares spårbarhet vid försäljning av batterier online omfattas av de regler för efterlevnadskontroll som fastställs i förordning (EU) 2022/2065.

(105) För att säkerställa högkvalitativ återvinning i batterileveranskedjan, öka användningen av sekundära råmaterial av hög kvalitet och skydda miljön bör det finnas höga nivåer av insamling och materialåtervinning av förbrukade batterier. Insamling av förbrukade batterier är ett grundläggande och avgörande steg när det gäller återvinningen av värdefulla material i batterier genom återvinning och för att behålla batterileveranskedjan inom unionen och främja unionens strategiska oberoende i denna sektor. Sådan återvinning som därigenom även underlättar tillgång till material som återvunnits kan användas för att tillverka nya produkter.

(106) Producenter bör ansvara för finansieringen och organisationen av separat insamling av förbrukade batterier. De bör göra detta genom att inrätta ett återtagande- och insamlingsnät och tillhörande informationskampanjer som omfattar varje medlemsstats hela territorium. Sådana nät bör ligga nära slutanvändaren och bör inte bara vara inriktade på områden och batterier för vilka insamlingen av förbrukade batterier är lönsam. Insamlingsnätet bör omfatta distributörer, auktoriserade behandlingsanläggningar för avfall som utgörs av eller innehåller elektrisk och elektronisk utrustning och för uttjänta fordon, samt insamlingsstationer och, på frivillig basis, andra aktörer, som offentliga myndigheter och skolor. För att kontrollera om insamlingsnätet och tillhörande informationskampanjer är effektiva eller behöver förbättras bör det göras regelbundna sammansättningsundersökningar på minst Nuts 2-nivå, som föreskrivs i Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EG) nr 1059/2003, avseende blandat kommunalt avfall och avfall som utgörs av eller innehåller elektrisk eller elektronisk utrustning som samlats in, för att fastställa mängden förbrukade bärbara batterier i dessa.

(107) Förbrukade batterier bör kunna samlas in tillsammans med avfall som utgörs av eller innehåller elektrisk eller elektronisk utrustning, inom ramen för nationella insamlingssystem som inrättats på grundval av direktiv 2012/19/EU, och tillsammans med uttjänta fordon i enlighet med direktiv 2000/53/EG. I sådana fall bör, som ett minsta behandlingskrav, batterierna avlägsnas från de insamlade apparaterna och uttjänta fordonen. När batterierna har avlägsnats från de insamlade uttjänta apparaterna bör de omfattas av kraven i denna förordning. I synnerhet bör sådana förbrukade batterier och uttjänta fordon räknas med för uppnåendet av insamlingsmålet för den berörda batterikategorin och omfattas av de behandlings- och materialåtervinningskrav som fastställs i denna förordning.

(108) Med tanke på den miljöpåverkan och materialförlust som är resultatet av att förbrukade batterier inte samlas in separat och därför inte behandlas på ett miljövänligt sätt, bör det insamlingsmål för förbrukade bärbara batterier som fastställts enligt direktiv 2006/66/EG fortsätta att tillämpas och gradvis höjas. Med tanke på den nuvarande ökningen av försäljningen av batterier för lätta transportmedel och det faktum att de har en längre livslängd än bärbara batterier, är det lämpligt att fastställa ett särskilt insamlingsmål för batterier för lätta transportmedel, separat från det insamlingsmål som gäller för förbrukade bärbara batterier. Med anledning av den väntade utvecklingen av marknaden för batterier för lätta transportmedel och bärbara batterier samt ökningen av deras förväntade livslängd, bör metoden för beräkning och kontroll av insamlingsmålen ses över så att den faktiska volymen av förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel och förbrukade bärbara batterier som finns tillgängliga för insamling fastställs bättre. Därför bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen med avseende på att ändra denna metod och att ändra insamlingsmålen i enlighet därmed. Det är mycket viktigt att en ny metod avseende ”tillgängliga för insamling” upprätthåller eller höjer miljöambitionerna när det gäller insamling av förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel och förbrukade bärbara batterier jämfört med den befintliga metoden. På grundval av en studie från det gemensamma forskningscentrumet om alternativa insamlingsmål för förbrukade bärbara batterier och förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel uppskattas det att ett insamlingsmål för förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel på 51 % senast den 31 december 2028 och 61 % senast den 31 december 2031, beräknat på grundval av den mängd batterier för lätta transportmedel som tillhandahålls på marknaden i en medlemsstat, kommer att motsvara ett insamlingsmål för förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel på 79 % senast den 31 december 2028 och 85 % senast den 31 december 2031, beräknat på grundval av den mängd batterier för lätta transportmedel som finns tillgängliga för insamling i en medlemsstat. Insamlingsmålen för förbrukade bärbara batterier och förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel bör ses över. En sådan översyn bör även kunna omfatta möjligheten att lägga till två underkategorier av bärbara batterier: laddningsbara och icke-laddningsbara batterier, med skilda insamlingsnivåer. Kommissionen bör utarbeta en rapport till stöd för dessa översyner.

(109) I syfte att maximera insamlingen och minska säkerhetsriskerna bör kommissionen göra en bedömning av genomförbarheten och de potentiella fördelarna med att inrätta ett pantsystem för batterier, särskilt för bärbara batterier för allmänt bruk. Nationella och harmoniserade unionsomfattande pantsystem bör beaktas i den bedömningen.

(110) Insamlingsnivån för förbrukade bärbara batterier bör även i fortsättningen beräknas på grundval av den genomsnittliga årliga försäljningen under de föregående åren, så att målen står i proportion till batteriförbrukningen i en medlemsstat. I syfte att på bästa sätt beakta förändringar av vad som ingår i kategorin bärbara batterier, både vad gäller livslängd och förbrukningsmönster för batterier, bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen för att ändra metoden för att beräkna och kontrollera insamlingsnivån för förbrukade bärbara batterier och för förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel.

(111) Medlemsstaternas skyldighet att vidta åtgärder för att producenter och, om de utsetts, producentansvarsorganisationer, ska uppnå insamlingsmålen för förbrukade bärbara batterier och förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel, återspeglar den allmänna principen att medlemsstaterna ska säkerställa unionsrättens effektivitet.

(112) Alla förbrukade startbatterier, förbrukade industribatterier och förbrukade elfordonsbatterier bör samlas in. Därför bör producenterna av startbatterier, industribatterier och elfordonsbatterier åläggas att kostnadsfritt ta emot och återta alla förbrukade batterier för sin respektive kategori från slutanvändarna. Detaljerade rapporteringskrav bör fastställas för alla producenter, avfallshanteringsaktörer och avfallsinnehavare som är involverade i insamlingen av förbrukade startbatterier, förbrukade industribatterier och förbrukade elfordonsbatterier.

Skäl 113–122: Behandling och materialåtervinning (jfr art 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 och 76)

(113) Med tanke på den avfallshierarki som fastställs i direktiv 2008/98/EG och enligt vilken det är lämpligt att prioritera förebyggande, förberedelse för återanvändning och materialåtervinning, och i linje med direktiv 2008/98/EG och rådets direktiv 1999/31/EG bör insamlade förbrukade batterier inte bortskaffas eller bli föremål för energiåtervinning.

(114) Alla godkända anläggningar som utför behandling av batterier bör uppfylla minimikrav för att förhindra negativa miljö- och hälsoeffekter och möjliggöra en hög grad av resursåtervinning av de material som ingår i batterier. Genom Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2010/75/EU regleras ett antal industriella verksamheter som innefattar behandling av förbrukade batterier och för vilka det i direktivet föreskrivs särskilda krav avseende tillståndsgivande och avseende kontroller som återspeglar bästa tillgängliga teknik. Om industriell verksamhet som avser behandling och återvinning av batterier inte omfattas av direktiv 2010/75/EU bör verksamhetsutövarna under alla omständigheter vara skyldiga att använda bästa tillgängliga teknik, enligt definitionen i artikel 3.10 i det direktivet, och de särskilda krav som fastställs i denna förordning. Kraven i denna förordning på behandling och materialåtervinning av batterier bör i förekommande fall anpassas av kommissionen mot bakgrund av den tekniska och vetenskapliga utvecklingen och framväxande ny teknik inom avfallshantering. Därför bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen med avseende på att ändra kraven i fråga.

(115) Mål för materialåtervinningsgrad och för resursåtervinning bör fastställas för att säkerställa resursåtervinning av hög kvalitet för batteriindustrin, samtidigt som man säkerställer tydliga gemensamma villkor för materialåtervinnare och motverkar snedvridning av konkurrensen och andra hinder för en väl fungerande inre marknad för sekundära råmaterial från förbrukade batterier. Mål för materialåtervinningsgrad, som är ett mått på den totala mängden återvunnet material, bör fastställas för blybatterier, nickelkadmiumbatterier, litiumbaserade batterier och andra batterier. Det bör också fastställas mål för resursåtervinning av kobolt, bly, litium och nickel i syfte att uppnå en hög resursåtervinningsnivå i hela unionen. Bestämmelserna om beräkning och rapportering av materialåtervinningsgrad i kommissionens förordning (EU) nr 493/2012 bör fortsätta att gälla. I syfte att säkerställa att beräkningarna och kontrollerna av materialåtervinningsgraden och resursåtervinningsnivån är tillförlitliga och pålitliga och säkerställa större rättssäkerhet bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen för att komplettera denna förordning genom att fastställa metoden för beräkning och kontroll av materialåtervinningsgrad och resursåtervinningsnivån i återvinningsprocesserna för batterier samt formatet för dokumentationen om återvinningsgraden och materialåtervinning för förbrukade batterier och destination och avkastning vad avser de slutliga utgående fraktionerna i enlighet med del A i bilaga XII. Kommissionen bör också se över förordning (EU) nr 493/2012 så att förordningen korrekt återspeglar den tekniska utvecklingen och förändringar i industriella återvinningsprocesser, i syfte att utvidga förordningens tillämpningsområde till att omfatta befintliga och nya mål och tillhandahålla verktyg för karakterisering av mellanprodukter. Behandlingsanläggningar bör uppmuntras att införa certifierade miljöledningssystem i enlighet med Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EG) nr 1221/2009.

(116) Det bör endast vara möjligt att utföra behandling av förbrukade batterier utanför den berörda medlemsstaten där avfallet samlats in eller utanför unionen om transporten av de förbrukade batterierna är förenlig med Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EG) nr 1013/2006 och kommissionens förordning (EG) nr 1418/2007 och om behandlingen uppfyller de krav som gäller för denna typ av avfall, enligt hur avfallet klassificeras enligt kommissionens beslut 2000/532/EG. Det beslutet bör ses över så att det omfattar alla kemiska sammansättningar i batterier, särskilt koder för förbrukade litiumbaserade batterier, i syfte att möjliggöra korrekt sortering och rapportering av sådana förbrukade batterier. Denna förordning påverkar inte den möjliga klassificeringen av förbrukade batterier som farligt avfall enligt direktiv 2008/98/EG. Om sådan behandling äger rum utanför unionen och för att göra det möjligt att räkna in behandlingen i återvinningsgraden och återvinningsmålen, bör den avfallshanteringsaktör på vars vägnar behandlingen utförs vara skyldig att rapportera om denna behandling till den behöriga myndigheten i den medlemsstat där de förbrukade batterierna insamlades och därvid bevisa att behandlingen utförts under förhållanden som är likvärdiga med vad som krävs enligt denna förordning och i linje med annan unionsrätt om människors hälsa och miljöskydd. I syfte att fastställa vilka krav som måste uppfyllas för att en sådan behandling ska anses likvärdig bör befogenheten att anta akter i enlighet med artikel 290 i EUF-fördraget delegeras till kommissionen med avseende på att komplettera denna förordning för att fastställa närmare regler med kriterier för bedömningen av likvärdiga villkor.

(117) Om förbrukade batterier exporteras från unionen för förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring eller materialåtervinning bör medlemsstaternas behöriga myndigheter använda sig av de befogenheter som anges i förordning (EG) nr 1013/2006 för att kräva styrkande dokumentation för att säkerställa överensstämmelse med kraven i den här förordningen.

(118) Industribatterier och elfordonsbatterier som inte längre kan användas för det ursprungliga ändamål för vilka de tillverkades bör kunna användas för ett nytt ändamål, dvs. för stationär energilagring. Det håller på att växa fram en marknad för begagnade industribatterier och begagnade elfordonsbatterier, och för att stödja en praktisk tillämpning av avfallshierarkin bör det därför fastställas särskilda regler för att möjliggöra ansvarsfull ändamålsändring av förbrukade batterier, samtidigt som försiktighetsprincipen bör beaktas och slutanvändarnas säkerhet garanteras. För varje sådant begagnat batteri bör det göras en bedömning av dess hälsotillstånd och tillgängliga kapacitet i syfte att avgöra huruvida det är lämpligt för användning för ett annat ändamål än det ändamål för vilket det ursprungligen avsågs. Batterier som visar sig vara lämpliga för användning för ett annat ändamål än för deras ursprungliga ändamål bör helst behandlas för ändamålsändring. I syfte att säkerställa enhetliga villkor för genomförandet av de krav som förbrukade industribatterier, förbrukade batterier för lätta transportmedel eller förbrukade elfordonsbatterier bör uppfylla för att upphöra att vara avfall, bör kommissionen tilldelas genomförandebefogenheter.

(119) Producenter och distributörer bör aktivt delta i tillhandahållandet av information till slutanvändarna om obligatorisk separat insamling av förbrukade batterier och tillgången till insamlingssystem. De bör också informera slutanvändarna om den viktiga roll som slutanvändarna har när det gäller att säkerställa en miljömässigt optimal hantering av förbrukade batterier. Producenter och distributörer bör använda uppdaterad informationsteknik för att lämna ut information till alla slutanvändare och rapportera om batterier. Informationen bör spridas antingen med klassiska metoder, med hjälp av annonsering utomhus, affischer och kampanjer i sociala medier, eller genom mer innovativa metoder, såsom elektronisk tillgång till webbplatser via QR-koder som anbringas på batteriet. Denna information bör vara tillgänglig för personer med funktionsnedsättning i enlighet med direktiv (EU) 2019/882.

(120) För att det ska vara möjligt att kontrollera att skyldigheterna vad gäller insamling och behandling av förbrukade batterier uppfylls är det nödvändigt att aktörerna rapporterar till de behöriga myndigheterna. Batteriproducenter och andra avfallshanteringsaktörer som samlar in förbrukade batterier bör, för varje kalenderår, rapportera tillämpliga uppgifter om sålda batterier och insamlade förbrukade batterier. När det gäller behandling bör rapporteringsskyldigheten åligga avfallshanteringsaktörerna respektive materialåtervinnarna.

(121) För varje kalenderår bör medlemsstaterna förse kommissionen med information om vilka mängder batterier som levererats inom deras territorier och om vilka mängder förbrukade batterier som samlats in, per kategori och kemisk sammansättning. När det gäller förbrukade bärbara batterier och batterier för lätta transportmedel bör uppgifter rapporteras separat för att anpassa de respektive insamlingsmålen, mot bakgrund av dessa batteriers marknadsandel och deras specifika ändamål och egenskaper. Sådan information bör tillhandahållas elektroniskt och åtföljas av en kvalitetskontrollrapport. I syfte att säkerställa enhetliga villkor för rapporteringen av sådana uppgifter och information till kommissionen samt med avseende på kontrollmetoderna bör kommissionen tilldelas genomförandebefogenheter.

(122) För varje kalenderår bör medlemsstaterna rapportera till kommissionen om materialåtervinningsgrad och resursåtervinning som uppnåtts, med beaktande av alla enskilda steg i materialåtervinningsprocessen och utgående fraktioner.

Skäl 123–126: Digitalt batteripass (jfr art 77 och 78)

(123) För att öka öppenheten i leverans- och värdekedjorna för alla berörda parter är det nödvändigt att föreskriva att det införs ett batteripass som maximerar informationsutbytet, gör det möjligt att spåra batterier och informerar om koldioxidintensiteten i batteritillverkningsprocesserna samt om de använda materialens ursprung och om huruvida förnybart material såsom material som framställts av lignin för att ersätta grafit används, batteriers sammansättning, inbegripet råmaterial och farliga kemikalier, om hur batterierna kan repareras, behandlas för ändamålsändring och demonteras, samt om de behandlings-, materialåtervinnings- och återvinningsprocesser som batterier kan bli föremål för i slutet av sin livscykel. Batteripasset bör ge allmänheten information om batterier som släpps ut på marknaden och deras hållbarhetskrav. Det bör ge återtillverkare, andrahandsaktörer och materialåtervinnare aktuell information om hanteringen av batterier, och ge specifika aktörer skräddarsydd information, t.ex. om batteriers hälsotillstånd. Batteripasset bör kunna hjälpa marknadskontrollmyndigheterna att utföra sina uppgifter enligt denna förordning, men det bör inte ersätta eller ändra ansvarsområdena för marknadskontrollmyndigheterna, som i enlighet med förordning (EU) 2019/1020 bör kontrollera den information som tillhandahålls i batteripass.

(124) Viss information i batteripasset bör inte vara offentlig, t.ex. kommersiellt känsliga uppgifter som endast ett begränsat antal personer med ett legitimt intresse skulle behöva ha tillgång till. Detta gäller information om demontering, inklusive säkerhet, och detaljerad information om batteriets sammansättning, vilket är avgörande för reparatörer, återtillverkare, andrahandsaktörer och materialåtervinnare. Det gäller också information om enskilda batterier, som är väsentlig för dem som har köpt batteriet eller parter som agerar för deras räkning i syfte att göra batteriet tillgängligt för oberoende energiaggregatorer eller aktörer på energimarknaden, utvärdera dess restvärde eller återstående livslängd för fortsatt användning och underlätta förberedelse för återanvändning, förberedelse för ändamålsändring, ändamålsändring eller återtillverkning av batteriet. Resultaten av provningsrapporterna bör endast vara tillgängliga för anmälda organ, marknadskontrollmyndigheter och kommissionen.

(125) Batteripasset bör göra det möjligt för ekonomiska aktörer att på ett effektivare sätt samla in och återanvända information och uppgifter om enskilda batterier som släpps ut på marknaden och göra bättre underbyggda val i sin planeringsverksamhet. När batteriet väl har släppts ut på marknaden kan det i vissa fall vara mer praktiskt för en annan juridisk person, såsom en fordonstillverkare, att uppdatera informationen i passet. Den ekonomiska aktör som släpper ut batteriet på marknaden bör därför tillåtas att ge en annan aktör ett skriftligt tillstånd att agera på dennes vägnar. Ansvaret för att följa bestämmelserna för batteripasset bör ligga hos den ekonomiska aktör som släpper ut batteriet på marknaden. I syfte att säkerställa enhetliga villkor för genomförandet av batteripasset bör kommissionen tilldelas genomförandebefogenheter.

(126) För att säkerställa att batteripasset är flexibelt, dynamiskt och marknadsstyrt och utvecklas i linje med företagsmodeller, marknader och innovation bör det baseras på ett decentraliserat datasystem som inrättas och underhålls av ekonomiska aktörer. För att säkerställa ett effektivt införande av batteripasset bör den tekniska utformningen, uppgiftskraven och användningen av batteripasset uppfylla en uppsättning grundläggande tekniska krav. Sådana krav bör utvecklas parallellt med dem för digitala produktpass som krävs enligt annan unionsrätt om ekodesign för hållbara produkter. Tekniska specifikationer, för vilka principerna för nätverket eDelivery inom ramen för kommissionens fond för ett sammanlänkat Europa bör beaktas, bör fastställas för att säkerställa ett effektivt genomförande av dessa grundläggande krav, antingen i form av en harmoniserad standard för vilken hänvisningarna offentliggörs i Europeiska unionens officiella tidning eller, som ett alternativ, i form av gemensamma specifikationer som antas av kommissionen. Den tekniska utformningen bör säkerställa att batteripasset innehåller uppgifter på ett säkert sätt, med respekt för integritetsreglerna.

Skäl 127–132: Marknadskontroll och skyddsåtgärder (jfr art 79, 80, 81, 82, 83 och 84)

(127) I förordning (EU) 2019/1020 fastställs allmänna regler om marknadskontroll och kontroll av produkter som släpps ut på unionsmarknaden eller som förs in på unionsmarknaden från tredjeländer. För att säkerställa att batterier som omfattas av den fria rörligheten för varor uppfyller krav som ger en hög skyddsnivå för allmänintresse, som människors hälsa och säkerhet, egendomsskydd och miljöskydd, och för att säkerställa full verkställbarhet av skyldigheterna, särskilt när det gäller policyerna för tillbörlig aktsamhet avseende batterier enligt denna förordning, bör förordning (EU) 2019/1020 också tillämpas på de batterier och ekonomiska aktörer som omfattas av den här förordningen. Bilaga I till förordning (EU) 2019/1020 bör därför ändras i enlighet med detta.

(128) Enligt förordning (EU) 2019/1020 ska marknadskontrollmyndigheterna utföra lämpliga kontroller av produkters egenskaper i tillräcklig omfattning. Kommissionen tilldelas genom förordningen befogenhet att anta genomförandeakter för att fastställa enhetliga villkor för kontroller, kriterier för fastställande av hur ofta kontroller ska utföras och antalet prover som ska kontrolleras med avseende på vissa produkter eller produktkategorier. Tilldelningen av befogenheter tillämpas också t på batterier som omfattas av den här förordningen om de villkor som anges i förordning (EU) 2019/1020 är uppfyllda.

(129) Genom förordning (EU) 2019/1020 infördes nya instrument för att förbättra efterlevnaden och marknadsövervakningen, som också är relevanta för batterier. Det föreskrivs att kommissionen får utse en offentlig provningsanläggning i en medlemsstat till unionsprovningsanläggning för särskilda produktkategorier eller för särskilda risker förknippade med en produktkategori. Kommissionen bör inkludera de batterier som omfattas av den här förordningen i sin nästa inbjudan att anmäla intresse för utseende av unionsprovningsanläggningar i enlighet med kommissionens genomförandeförordning (EU) 2022/1267. I förordning (EU) 2019/1020 föreskrivs också att marknadskontrollmyndigheterna kan bedriva gemensamma aktiviteter med organisationer som representerar ekonomiska aktörer eller slutanvändare i syfte att främja överensstämmelse, identifiera bristande överensstämmelse, öka medvetenheten och tillhandahålla vägledning om särskilda produktkategorier. Denna möjlighet bör även ges med avseende på kraven i den här förordningen. I detta sammanhang skulle medlemsstaterna eller marknadskontrollmyndigheterna kunna undersöka möjligheten att inrätta kompetenscentrum för batterier.

(130) Batterier bör endast släppas ut på marknaden på villkor att de inte utgör en risk för människors hälsa och säkerhet, egendom eller miljön när de förvaras och används för sitt avsedda ändamål, eller används under förhållanden som rimligen kan förutses, dvs. när sådana användningsvillkor skulle kunna vara resultatet av ett lagligt och lätt förutsebart mänskligt beteende.

(131) Det bör finnas ett förfarande genom vilket berörda parter informeras om planerade åtgärder avseende batterier som utgör en risk för människors hälsa och säkerhet, egendom eller miljö. Ett sådant förfarande bör även ge marknadskontrollmyndigheterna möjlighet att, i samarbete med de berörda ekonomiska aktörerna, ingripa mot sådana batterier i ett tidigare skede. I syfte att säkerställa enhetliga villkor för genomförandet av denna förordning bör kommissionen tilldelas genomförandebefogenheter med avseende på att fastställa huruvida de nationella åtgärder som vidtas avseende batterier som inte uppfyller kraven är berättigade eller inte.

(132) Marknadskontrollmyndigheterna bör ha möjlighet att kräva att en ekonomisk aktör vidtar korrigerande åtgärder om de konstaterar att ett batteri inte uppfyller kraven i denna förordning eller att en ekonomisk aktör har överträtt reglerna om utsläppande eller tillhandahållande på marknaden av ett batteri, reglerna om hållbarhet, säkerhet, märkning och information eller reglerna om tillbörlig aktsamhet i leveranskedjan.

Skäl 133–143: Offentlig upphandling och slutbestämmelser (jfr art 85, 93 och 94)

(133) Offentlig upphandling är en viktig sektor när det gäller att minska miljöpåverkan från mänsklig verksamhet och påverka marknadsutvecklingen så att den går mot mer hållbara produkter. Upphandlande myndigheter enligt definitionen i Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2014/24/EU och 2014/25/EU och upphandlande enheter enligt definitionen i direktiv 2014/25/EU bör beakta miljöpåverkan när de upphandlar batterier eller produkter som innehåller batterier och bör säkerställa att de ekonomiska aktörerna verkligen uppfyller de sociala och miljömässiga kraven, i syfte att främja och stimulera marknaden för ren och energieffektiv mobilitet och energilagring och därigenom bidra till unionens miljö-, klimat- och energipolitiska mål.

(134) När kommissionen antar delegerade akter i enlighet med denna förordning är det särskilt viktigt att den genomför lämpliga samråd under sitt förberedande arbete, inklusive på expertnivå, och att dessa samråd genomförs i enlighet med principerna i det interinstitutionella avtalet av den 13 april 2016 om bättre lagstiftning. För att säkerställa lika stor delaktighet i förberedelsen av delegerade akter erhåller Europaparlamentet och rådet alla handlingar samtidigt som medlemsstaternas experter, och deras experter ges systematiskt tillträde till möten i kommissionens expertgrupper som arbetar med förberedelse av delegerade akter.

(135) De genomförandebefogenheter som kommissionen tilldelas genom denna förordning bör utövas i enlighet med Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EU) nr 182/2011.

(136) Det rådgivande förfarandet bör användas vid antagandet av en genomförandeakt i de fall då kommissionen konstaterar att ett anmält organ inte uppfyller kraven för sin anmälan, i syfte att anmoda den anmälande myndigheten att vidta erforderliga korrigerande åtgärder, inbegripet att vid behov återkalla anmälan.

(137) Kommissionen bör anta omedelbart tillämpliga genomförandeakter för att fastställa huruvida en nationell åtgärd som vidtagits i fråga om ett batteri som uppfyller kraven, men som utgör en risk, är berättigad eller inte, om det, i vederbörligen motiverade fall med avseende på skyddet av människors hälsa eller säkerhet, eller skyddet av egendom eller miljön, är nödvändigt av tvingande skäl till skyndsamhet.

(138) Medlemsstaterna bör fastställa regler om sanktioner som ska gälla vid överträdelser av denna förordning och säkerställa att de genomförs. Sanktionerna bör vara effektiva, proportionella och avskräckande. Vid åläggande av sanktioner är det viktigt att vederbörlig hänsyn tas till överträdelsens art, allvar, omfattning, avsiktliga karaktär och upprepning samt den grad i vilken den fysiska eller juridiska person som hålls ansvarig samarbetar med den behöriga myndigheten. Åläggandet av sanktioner bör överensstämma med unionsrätten och nationell rätt, vilket inbegriper tillämpliga rättssäkerhetsgarantier och principerna i Europeiska unionens stadga om de grundläggande rättigheterna.

(139) Mot bakgrund av behovet av att säkerställa en hög miljöskyddsnivå och behovet av att beakta ny utveckling som grundar sig på vetenskapliga fakta bör kommissionen lägga fram en rapport för Europaparlamentet och rådet om tillämpningen av denna förordning och dess inverkan på miljön och den inre marknadens funktion. Kommissionen bör i sin rapport inkludera en utvärdering av bestämmelserna om kriterier för hållbarhet, säkerhet, märkning och information, åtgärderna för hantering av förbrukade batterier och kraven på tillbörlig aktsamhet i leveranskedjan. Rapporten bör vid behov åtföljas av ett förslag om ändring av relevanta bestämmelser i denna förordning.

(140) Det är nödvändigt att ge ekonomiska aktörer tillräckligt med tid för att fullgöra sina skyldigheter enligt denna förordning, och medlemsstaterna måste få tillräckligt med tid för att upprätta den administrativa infrastruktur som behövs för att tillämpa förordningen. Tillämpningen av denna förordning bör därför skjutas fram till ett datum när dessa förberedelser rimligen kan vara avslutade.

(141) För att göra det möjligt för medlemsstaterna att anpassa det register över producenter som upprättats enligt direktiv 2006/66/EG och att vidta nödvändiga administrativa åtgärder vad gäller de behöriga myndigheternas organisation av godkännandeförfarandena, samtidigt som kontinuiteten bibehålls för ekonomiska aktörer, bör direktiv 2006/66/EG upphöra att gälla från och med den 18 augusti 2025. De skyldigheter som fastställs i det direktivet vad gäller övervakning och rapportering av insamlingsnivån för bärbara batterier bör fortsätta att gälla till och med den 31 december 2023, och de tillhörande skyldigheterna vad gäller överföring av uppgifter till kommissionen bör fortsätta att gälla till och med den 30 juni 2025, skyldigheterna enligt det direktivet vad gäller övervakning och rapportering av återvinningsgraden i materialåtervinningsprocesserna bör fortsätta att gälla till och med den 31 december 2025, och de tillhörande skyldigheterna vad gäller överföring av uppgifter till kommissionen bör fortsätta att gälla till och med den 30 juni 2027, för att säkerställa kontinuiteten fram till dess att nya beräkningsregler och rapporteringsformat har antagits av kommissionen i enlighet med denna förordning.

(142) Det är viktigt att miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska konsekvenser beaktas vid genomförandet av denna förordning. För att säkerställa lika villkor är det dessutom viktigt att all relevant tillgänglig teknik beaktas i lika hög grad vid genomförandet av denna förordning, förutsatt att denna teknik gör det möjligt för batterier att till fullo uppfylla alla relevanta krav i denna förordning. Dessutom bör ingen orimlig administrativ börda läggas på ekonomiska aktörer, särskilt inte på små och medelstora företag.

(143) Eftersom målen för denna förordning, nämligen att bidra till att den inre marknaden fungerar och att förebygga och minska batteriers negativa påverkan för att säkerställa en hög skyddsnivå avseende människors hälsa och säkerhet, egendom och miljön, inte i tillräcklig utsträckning kan uppnås av medlemsstaterna utan snarare, på grund av behovet av harmonisering, kan uppnås bättre på unionsnivå, kan unionen vidta åtgärder i enlighet med subsidiaritetsprincipen i artikel 5 i fördraget om Europeiska unionen. I enlighet med proportionalitetsprincipen i samma artikel går denna förordning inte utöver vad som är nödvändigt för att uppnå dessa mål.

HÄRIGENOM FÖRESKRIVS FÖLJANDE.

Chapter I General provisions

Article1¶Subject matter and scope

Ändrad genom rättelse till förordning (EU) 2023/1542.

1. This Regulation lays down requirements on sustainability, safety, labelling, marking and information to allow the placing on the market or putting into service of batteries within the Union. It also lays down minimum requirements for extended producer responsibility, the collection and treatment of waste batteries and for reporting.

2. This Regulation imposes battery due diligence obligations on economic operators placing batteries on the market or putting them into service. It also lays down requirements for green public procurement when procuring batteries or products into which batteries are incorporated.

3. This Regulation applies to all categories of batteries, namely portable batteries, starting, lighting and ignition batteries (SLI batteries), light means of transport batteries (LMT batteries), electric vehicle batteries and industrial batteries, regardless of their shape, volume, weight, design, material composition, chemistry, use or purpose. It shall also apply to batteries that are incorporated into or added to products or that are specifically designed to be incorporated into or added to products.

For the purposes of Chapter II, where batteries placed on the market can be considered to fall under more than one category, they shall be deemed to fall under the category to which the strictest requirements apply.

4. In cases where battery cells or battery modules are made available on the market for end use, without any further incorporation or assembly into larger battery packs or batteries, they shall be considered to have been placed on the market as batteries for the purposes of this Regulation, and the requirements for the most similar battery category shall apply. In cases where it can be considered that such battery cells or battery modules fall under more than one battery category, they shall be deemed to fall under the category to which the strictest requirements apply.

5. This Regulation does not apply to batteries that are incorporated into or that are specifically designed to be incorporated into:

a) equipment connected with the protection of Member States’ essential security interests, arms, munitions and war material, with the exclusion of products that are not intended for specifically military purposes; and

b) equipment designed to be sent into space.

6. Chapters III and IX of this Regulation do not apply to equipment specifically designed for the safety of nuclear installations, as defined in Article 3 of Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom.

Article2¶Objectives

The objectives of this Regulation are to contribute to the efficient functioning of the internal market, while preventing and reducing the adverse impacts of batteries on the environment, and to protect the environment and human health by preventing and reducing the adverse impacts of the generation and management of waste batteries.

Article3¶Definitions

1. For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

1) ‘battery’ means any device delivering electrical energy generated by direct conversion of chemical energy, having internal or external storage, and consisting of one or more non-rechargeable or rechargeable battery cells, modules or of packs of them, and includes a battery that has been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing;

2) ‘battery pack’ means any set of battery cells or modules that are connected together or encapsulated within an outer casing, to form a complete unit which is not meant to be split up or opened by the end-user;

3) ‘battery module’ means any set of battery cells that are connected together or encapsulated within an outer casing to protect the cells against external impact, and which is meant to be used either alone or in combination with other modules;

4) ‘battery cell’ means the basic functional unit in a battery, composed of electrodes, electrolyte, container, terminals and, if applicable, separators, and containing the active materials the reaction of which generates electrical energy;

5) ‘active material’ means a material which reacts chemically to produce electric energy when the battery cell discharges or to store electric energy when the battery is being charged;

6) ‘non-rechargeable battery’ means a battery that is not designed to be electrically recharged;

7) ‘rechargeable battery’ means a battery that is designed to be electrically recharged;

8) ‘battery with external storage’ means a battery that is specifically designed to have its energy stored exclusively in one or more attached external devices;

9) ‘portable battery’ means a battery that is sealed, weighs 5 kg or less, is not designed specifically for industrial use and is neither an electric vehicle battery, an LMT battery, nor an SLI battery;

10) ‘portable battery of general use’ means a portable battery, whether or not rechargeable, that is specifically designed to be interoperable and that has one of the following common formats 4,5 Volts (3R12), button cell, D, C, AA, AAA, AAAA, A23, 9 Volts (PP3);

11) ‘light means of transport battery’ or ‘LMT battery’ means a battery that is sealed, weighs 25 kg or less and is specifically designed to provide electric power for the traction of wheeled vehicles that can be powered by an electric motor alone or by a combination of motor and human power, including type-approved vehicles of category L within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and that is not an electric vehicle battery;

12) ‘starting, lighting and ignition battery’ or ‘SLI battery’ means a battery that is specifically designed to supply electric power for starting, lighting, or ignition and that can also be used for auxiliary or backup purposes in vehicles, other means of transport or machinery;

13) ‘industrial battery’ means a battery that is specifically designed for industrial uses, intended for industrial uses after having been subject to preparation for repurposing or repurposing, or any other battery that weighs more than 5 kg and that is neither an electric vehicle battery, an LMT battery, nor an SLI battery;

14) ‘electric vehicle battery’ means a battery that is specifically designed to provide electric power for traction in hybrid or electric vehicles of category L as provided for in Regulation (EU) No 168/2013, that weighs more than 25 kg, or a battery that is specifically designed to provide electric power for traction in hybrid or electric vehicles of categories M, N or O as provided for in Regulation (EU) 2018/858;

15) ‘stationary battery energy storage system’ means an industrial battery with internal storage that is specifically designed to store from and deliver electric energy to the grid or store for and deliver electric energy to end-users, regardless of where and by whom the battery is being used;

16) ‘placing on the market’ means the first making available of a battery on the Union market;

17) ‘making available on the market’ means any supply of a battery for distribution or use on the Union market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge;

18) ‘putting into service’ means the first use, for its intended purpose, in the Union, of a battery, without having been previously placed on the market;

19) ‘battery model’ means a version of a battery all units of which share the same technical characteristics relevant for the requirements of this Regulation on sustainability, safety, labelling, marking and information, and the same model identifier;

20) ‘battery presenting a risk’ means a battery which has the potential to have adverse effects on human health or the safety of persons, on property or the environment to a degree which goes beyond that considered reasonable and acceptable in relation to the battery’s intended purpose or under the normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use of the battery concerned, including the duration of use, and, where applicable, to its putting into service, installation and maintenance requirements;

21) ‘carbon footprint’ means the sum of greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas removals in a product system, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents and based on a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) study using the single impact category of climate change;

22) ‘economic operator’ means the manufacturer, the authorised representative, the importer, the distributor or the fulfilment service provider or any other natural or legal person who is subject to obligations in relation to the manufacture, preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing of batteries, the making available or the placing of batteries on the market, including online, or the putting of batteries into service in accordance with this Regulation;

23) ‘independent operator’ means a natural or legal person who is independent from the manufacturer and the producer and is directly or indirectly involved in the repair, maintenance or repurposing of batteries, and includes waste management operators, repairers, manufacturers or distributors of repair equipment, tools or spare parts, as well as publishers of technical information, operators offering inspection and testing services, operators offering training for installers, manufacturers and repairers of equipment for alternative-fuel vehicles;

24) ‘QR code’ means a machine-readable matrix code that links to information as required by this Regulation;

25) ‘battery management system’ means an electronic device that controls or manages the electric and thermal functions of a battery in order to ensure the battery’s safety, performance and service life, manages and stores the data for the parameters for determining the battery’s state of health and expected lifetime set out in Annex VII and communicates with the vehicle, light means of transport or appliance in which the battery is incorporated, or with a public or private charging infrastructure;

26) ‘appliance’ means any electrical or electronic equipment, as defined in Article 3(1), point (a), of Directive 2012/19/EU, which is fully or partly powered by a battery or is capable of being so;

27) ‘state of charge’ means the available energy in a battery expressed as a percentage of its rated capacity as declared by the manufacturer;

28) ‘state of health’ means a measure of the general condition of a rechargeable battery and its ability to deliver the specified performance compared with its initial condition;

29) ‘preparation for re-use’ means preparing for re-use as defined in Article 3, point (16), of Directive 2008/98/EC;

30) ‘preparation for repurposing’ means any operation, by which a waste battery, or parts thereof, is prepared so that it can be used for a different purpose or application than that for which it was originally designed;

31) ‘repurposing’ means any operation that results in a battery, that is not a waste battery, or parts thereof being used for a purpose or application other than that for which the battery was originally designed;

32) ‘remanufacturing’ means any technical operation on a used battery that includes the disassembly and evaluation of all its battery cells and modules and the use of a certain number of battery cells and modules that are new, used or recovered from waste, or other battery components, to restore the battery capacity to at least 90 % of the original rated capacity, and where the state of health of all individual battery cells does not differ more than 3 % between cells, and results in the battery being used for the same purpose or application as the one for which the battery was originally designed;

33) ‘manufacturer’ means any natural or legal person who manufactures a battery or has a battery designed or manufactured, and markets that battery under its own name or trademark or puts it into service for its own purposes;

34) ‘technical specifications’ means a document that prescribes technical requirements to be fulfilled by a product, process or service;

35) ‘harmonised standard’ means a standard as defined in Article 2, point (1)(c), of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012;

36) ‘CE marking’ means a marking by which a manufacturer indicates that the battery is in conformity with the applicable requirements laid down in Union harmonisation legislation providing for its affixing;

37) ‘accreditation’ means accreditation as defined in Article 2, point (10), of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008;

38) ‘national accreditation body’ means a national accreditation body as defined in Article 2, point (11), of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008;

39) ‘conformity assessment’ means the process demonstrating whether the sustainability, safety, labelling, information and due diligence requirements of this Regulation have been fulfilled;

40) ‘conformity assessment body’ means a body that performs conformity assessment activities including calibration, testing, certification and inspection;

41) ‘notified body’ means a conformity assessment body that has been notified in accordance with Chapter V;

42) ‘battery due diligence’ means the obligations of an economic operator in relation to its management system, risk management, third-party verifications and surveillance by notified bodies and disclosure of information, for the purpose of identifying, preventing and addressing actual and potential social and environmental risks linked to the sourcing, processing and trading of the raw materials and secondary raw materials required for battery manufacturing, including by suppliers in the chain and their subsidiaries or subcontractors;

43) ‘subsidiary’ means a legal person through which the activity of a controlled undertaking within the meaning of Article 2(1), point (f), of Directive 2004/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council is exercised;

44) ‘parent company’ means a company which controls one or more subsidiaries;

45) ‘conflict-affected and high-risk areas’ means conflict-affected and high-risk areas as defined in Article 2, point (f), of Regulation (EU) 2017/821;

46) ‘distance contracts’ means distance contracts as defined in Article 2, point (7), of Directive 2011/83/EU;

47) ‘producer’ means any manufacturer, importer or distributor or other natural or legal person that, irrespective of the selling technique used, including by means of distance contracts, either:

a) is established in a Member State and manufactures batteries under its own name or trademark, or has batteries designed or manufactured and supplies them for the first time under its own name or trademark, including those incorporated in appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles, within the territory of that Member State;

b) is established in a Member State and resells within the territory of that Member State, under its own name or trademark, batteries, including those incorporated in appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles, manufactured by others, on which the name or trademark of those other manufacturers does not appear;

c) is established in a Member State and supplies for the first time in that Member State on a professional basis, batteries, including those incorporated in appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles, from another Member State or from a third country; or

d) sells batteries, including those incorporated in appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles, by means of distance contracts directly to end-users, whether or not they are private households, in a Member State, and is established in another Member State or in a third country;

48) ‘authorised representative for extended producer responsibility’ means a natural or legal person established in a Member State in which the producer places batteries on the market and which is different from the Member State where the producer is established, and is appointed by the producer in accordance with Article 8a(5), third subparagraph, of Directive 2008/98/EC to fulfil the obligations of that producer under Chapter VIII of this Regulation;

49) ‘producer responsibility organisation’ means a legal entity that financially or financially and operationally organises the fulfilment of extended producer responsibility obligations on behalf of several producers;

50) ‘waste battery’ means any battery which is waste as defined in Article 3, point (1), of Directive 2008/98/EC;

51) ‘battery manufacturing waste’ means the materials or objects rejected during the battery manufacturing process, which cannot be re-used as an integral part in the same process and need to be recycled;

52) ‘hazardous substance’ means a substance classified as hazardous pursuant to Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;

53) ‘treatment’ means any operation carried out on waste batteries after they have been handed over to a facility for sorting, preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, preparation for recycling or for recycling;

54) ‘preparation for recycling’ means the treatment of waste batteries prior to any recycling process, including, inter alia, the storage, handling and dismantling of battery packs or the separation of fractions that are not part of the battery itself;

55) ‘voluntary collection point’ means any non-profit, commercial or other economic undertaking or public body involved on its own initiative in the separate collection of waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries, generated by it or by other end-users, before handing those waste batteries over to producers, to producer responsibility organisations or to waste management operators for subsequent treatment;

56) ‘waste management operator’ means any natural or legal person dealing on a professional basis with the separate collection or treatment of waste batteries;

57) ‘permitted facility’ means an establishment or undertaking that is permitted in accordance with Directive 2008/98/EC to carry out the treatment of waste batteries;

58) ‘recycler’ means any natural or legal person who carries out recycling in a permitted facility;

59) ‘lifetime of a battery’ means the period that starts when the battery is manufactured and ends when the battery becomes waste;

60) ‘recycling efficiency’ means the ratio, expressed as a percentage, obtained by dividing the mass of output fractions accounting for recycling by the mass of the waste batteries’ input fraction, in relation to a recycling process;

61) ‘Union harmonisation legislation’ means any Union legislation harmonising the conditions for the marketing of products;

62) ‘national authority’ means an approval authority or any other authority involved in and responsible for market surveillance in a Member State in respect of batteries;

63) ‘authorised representative’ means any natural or legal person established in the Union who has received a written mandate from a manufacturer to act on its behalf in relation to specified tasks with regard to the manufacturer’s obligations under Chapters IV and VI;

64) ‘importer’ means any natural or legal person established within the Union who places on the market a battery from a third country;

65) ‘distributor’ means any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or the importer, who makes a battery available on the market;

66) ‘unique identifier’ means a unique string of characters for the identification of batteries that also enables a web link to the battery passport;

67) ‘online platform’ means an online platform as defined in Article 3, point (i), of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065;

68) ‘market participant’ means a market participant as defined in Article 2, point (25), of Regulation (EU) 2019/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

2. In addition to the definitions referred to in paragraph 1, the following definitions apply:

a) ‘waste’, ‘waste holder’, ‘waste management’, ‘prevention’, ‘collection’, ‘separate collection’, ‘extended producer responsibility scheme’, ‘re-use’ and ‘recycling’, laid down in Article 3 of Directive 2008/98/EC;

b) ‘market surveillance’, ‘market surveillance authority’, ‘fulfilment service provider’, ‘corrective action’, ‘end-user’, ‘recall’ and ‘withdrawal’, as well as ‘risk’ in relation to requirements of Chapters I, IV, VI, VII and IX of and Annexes V, VIII and XIII to this Regulation, laid down in Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020;

c) ‘independent aggregator’ and ‘energy storage’, laid down in Article 2 of Directive (EU) 2019/944.

Article4¶Free movement

1. Member States shall not, for reasons relating to the sustainability, safety, labelling and information requirements for batteries covered by this Regulation, prohibit, restrict or impede the making available on the market or the putting into service of batteries that comply with this Regulation.

2. At trade fairs, exhibitions, demonstrations or similar events, Member States shall not prevent the showing of batteries which do not comply with this Regulation, provided that a visible sign clearly indicates that those batteries do not comply with this Regulation and that they cannot be made available on the market or put into service until they have been brought into conformity with this Regulation. During demonstrations of such batteries, the relevant economic operator shall take adequate measures to ensure the safety of persons.

Article5¶Sustainability, safety, labelling and information requirements for batteries

1. Batteries shall only be placed on the market or put into service if they meet the following requirements:

a) the sustainability and safety requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and 12; and

b) the labelling and information requirements laid down in Chapter III.

2. For any aspects not covered by Chapters II and III, batteries placed on the market or put into service pursuant to paragraph 1 shall not present a risk to human health, to the safety of persons, to property or to the environment.

Chapter II Sustainability and safety requirements

Article6¶Restrictions on substances

1. In addition to the restrictions set out in Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and in Article 4(2), point (a), of Directive 2000/53/EC, batteries shall not contain substances for which Annex I to this Regulation contains a restriction unless the conditions of that restriction are complied with.

2. In the event of an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment, arising from the use of a substance in the manufacture of batteries or from the presence of a substance in the batteries when they are placed on the market, or arising during their subsequent life cycle stages, including during repurposing or the treatment of waste batteries, that is not adequately controlled and needs to be addressed on a Union-wide basis, the Commission shall adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to amend the restrictions in Annex I, pursuant to the procedure laid down in Articles 86, 87 and 88.

3. Restrictions adopted pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article shall not apply to the use of a substance in scientific research and development as defined in Article 3, point (23), of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, carried out in relation to batteries.

4. Where a restriction adopted pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article does not apply to product and process orientated research and development, as defined in Article 3, point (22), of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, that exemption, as well as the maximum quantity of the substance exempted, shall be specified in Annex I to this Regulation.

5. By 31 December 2027, the Commission, assisted by the European Chemicals Agency set up under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (‘the Agency’), shall prepare a report on substances of concern, namely substances having an adverse effect on human health or the environment or hampering recycling for safe and high quality secondary raw materials, present in batteries or used in their manufacture. The Commission shall submit that report to the European Parliament and to the Council detailing its findings and shall consider the appropriate follow-up measures including the adoption of delegated acts as referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article.

Article7¶Carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries and LMT batteries

1. For electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh and LMT batteries a carbon footprint declaration shall be drawn up for each battery model per manufacturing plant, in accordance with the implementing act referred to in the fourth subparagraph and containing, at least, the following information:

a) administrative information about the manufacturer;

b) information about the battery model;

c) information about the geographic location of the battery manufacturing plant;

d) the carbon footprint of the battery, calculated as kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per one kWh of the total energy provided by the battery over its expected service life;

e) the carbon footprint of the battery differentiated according to life cycle stage as described in point 4 of Annex II;

f) the identification number of the EU declaration of conformity of the battery;

g) a web link giving access to a public version of the study supporting the carbon footprint values referred to in points (d) and (e).

The carbon footprint declaration shall apply from:

a) 18 February 2025 or 12 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for electric vehicle batteries;

b) 18 February 2026 or 18 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for rechargeable industrial batteries except those with exclusively external storage;

c) 18 August 2028 or 18 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for LMT batteries;

d) 18 August 2030 or 18 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for rechargeable industrial batteries with external storage.

Until it becomes accessible via the QR code referred to in Article 13(6), the carbon footprint declaration shall accompany the battery.

The Commission shall, by 18 February 2024 for electric vehicle batteries, 18 February 2025 for rechargeable industrial batteries, except those with external storage, 18 February 2027 for LMT batteries and 18 February 2029 for industrial batteries with external storage, adopt:

a) a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by establishing the methodology for the calculation and verification of the carbon footprint of the battery referred to in the first subparagraph, point (d), in accordance with the essential elements set out in Annex II;

b) an implementing act establishing the format for the carbon footprint declaration referred to in the first subparagraph. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

2. Electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh and LMT batteries shall bear a conspicuous, clearly legible and indelible label indicating the carbon footprint of the battery referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph, point (d) and declaring the carbon footprint performance class to which the relevant battery model per manufacturing plant corresponds.

For batteries referred to in the first subparagraph, the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII shall demonstrate that the carbon footprint declared and the related classification into a carbon footprint performance class have been calculated in accordance with the methodology set out in the delegated acts adopted by the Commission pursuant to paragraph 1, fourth subparagraph, point (a) and the fourth subparagraph, point (a), of this paragraph.

The carbon footprint performance class requirements in the first subparagraph shall apply from:

a) 18 August 2026 or 18 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for electric vehicle batteries;

b) 18 August 2027 or 18 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for rechargeable industrial batteries except those with exclusively external storage;

c) 18 February 2030 or 18 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for LMT batteries;

d) 18 February 2032 or 18 months after the date of entry into force either of the delegated act or of the implementing act respectively referred to in the fourth subparagraph, points (a) and (b), whichever is the latest, for rechargeable industrial batteries with external storage.

The Commission shall, by 18 February 2025 for electric vehicle batteries, 18 August 2026 for rechargeable industrial batteries except those with exclusively external storage, 18 August 2028 for LMT batteries and 18 August 2030 for rechargeable industrial batteries with external storage, adopt:

a) a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by establishing the carbon footprint performance classes referred to in the first subparagraph. In preparing that delegated act, the Commission shall take into account the conditions set out in point 8 of Annex II;

b) an implementing act establishing the formats for the labelling referred to in the first subparagraph and the format for the declaration on the carbon footprint performance class referred to in that subparagraph. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

The Commission shall, in accordance with the conditions set out in point 8 of Annex II, review the number of performance classes and the thresholds between them, every three years and, where appropriate, adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the number of performance classes and thresholds between them with a view to keeping them representative of the market reality and expected developments in the market.

3. For electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh and LMT batteries, the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII shall demonstrate that the declared life cycle carbon footprint value for the relevant battery model per manufacturing plant, is below the maximum threshold established in the delegated act adopted pursuant to the third subparagraph.

The requirement for a maximum life cycle carbon footprint threshold referred to in the first subparagraph shall apply as of:

a) 18 February 2028 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in the third subparagraph, whichever is the latest, for electric vehicle batteries;

b) 18 February 2029 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in the third subparagraph, whichever is the latest, for rechargeable industrial batteries except those with exclusively external storage;

c) 18 August 2031 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in the third subparagraph, whichever is the latest, for LMT batteries;

d) 18 August 2033 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in the third subparagraph, whichever is the latest, for rechargeable industrial batteries with external storage.

The Commission shall, by 18 August 2026 for electric vehicle batteries, 18 February 2028 for rechargeable industrial batteries, except those with external storage, 18 February 2030 for LMT batteries and 18 February 2032 for industrial batteries with external storage, adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by determining the maximum life cycle carbon footprint threshold referred to in the first subparagraph. In preparing that delegated act, the Commission shall take into account the relevant conditions set out in point 9 of Annex II.

The introduction of a maximum life cycle carbon footprint threshold shall trigger, if necessary, a reclassification of the carbon footprint performance classes referred to in paragraph 2.

4. By 31 December 2030, the Commission shall assess the feasibility of extending the requirements in this Article to portable batteries, and the requirement laid down in paragraph 3 to rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity of 2 kWh or less. To that end, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council and consider taking the appropriate measures, including the adoption of legislative proposals.

5. Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall not apply to a battery that has been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, if the battery had already been placed on the market or put into service before undergoing such operations.

Article8¶Recycled content in industrial batteries, electric vehicle batteries, LMT batteries and SLI batteries

1. From 18 August 2028 or 24 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in the third subparagraph, whichever is the latest, industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, except those with exclusively external storage, electric vehicle batteries and SLI batteries that contain cobalt, lead, lithium or nickel in active materials, shall be accompanied by documentation containing information about the percentage share of cobalt, lithium or nickel that is present in active materials and that has been recovered from battery manufacturing waste or post-consumer waste, and the percentage share of lead that is present in the battery and that has been recovered from waste, for each battery model per year and per manufacturing plant.

The first subparagraph shall apply from 18 August 2033 to LMT batteries that contain cobalt, lead, lithium or nickel in active materials.

By 18 August 2026, the Commission shall adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by establishing, for the batteries referred to in the first and second subparagraphs, the methodology for the calculation and verification of the percentage share of cobalt, lithium or nickel that is present in active materials and that has been recovered from battery manufacturing waste or post-consumer waste, and the percentage share of lead that is present in the battery and that has been recovered from waste, and the format for the documentation.

2. From 18 August 2031, for industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, except those with exclusively external storage, electric vehicle batteries and SLI batteries that contain cobalt, lead, lithium or nickel in active materials, the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII shall demonstrate that those batteries contain, in active materials, the following minimum percentage share of, respectively, cobalt, lithium or nickel that has been recovered from battery manufacturing waste or post-consumer waste, and the minimum percentage share of lead that is present in the battery and that has been recovered from waste, for each battery model per year and per manufacturing plant:

a) 16 % cobalt;

b) 85 % lead;

c) 6 % lithium;

d) 6 % nickel.

3. From 18 August 2036, for industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, except those with exclusively external storage, electric vehicle batteries, LMT batteries and SLI batteries that contain cobalt, lead, lithium or nickel in active materials, the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII shall demonstrate that those batteries contain, in the active materials, the following minimum percentage share of, respectively, cobalt, lithium or nickel that has been recovered from battery manufacturing waste or post-consumer waste, and the minimum percentage share of lead that is present in the battery and that has been recovered from waste, for each battery model per year and per manufacturing plant:

a) 26 % cobalt;

b) 85 % lead;

c) 12 % lithium;

d) 15 % nickel.

4. Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall not apply to batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, if the batteries had already been placed on the market or put into service before undergoing such operations.

5. After the date of entry into force of the delegated act adopted under paragraph 1, and no later than 31 December 2028, the Commission shall assess whether, due to the existing availability, and the forecasted availability for 2030 and 2035, of cobalt, lead, lithium or nickel recovered from waste, or lack thereof, and in view of technical and scientific progress, it is appropriate to revise the targets laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3.

Where justified and appropriate on the basis of the assessment made under the first subparagraph or due to other considerable changes in battery technology impacting the type of materials recovered, the Commission shall adopt, by 18 August 2029, a delegated act in accordance with Article 89, to amend the targets laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3.

6. Where justified and appropriate due to market developments regarding battery chemistries impacting the type of materials that can be recovered, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89, to amend this Regulation by adding materials other than cobalt, lead, lithium and nickel, with specific minimum shares of recycled content per specific material in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article.

Article9¶Performance and durability requirements for portable batteries of general use

1. From 18 August 2028 or 24 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in paragraph 2, whichever is the latest, portable batteries of general use, excluding button cells, shall meet the minimum values for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Annex III as laid down in the delegated act adopted pursuant to paragraph 2.

2. By 18 August 2027, the Commission shall adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by establishing mandatory minimum values for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Annex III for portable batteries of general use, excluding button cells.

The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the minimum values referred to in the first subparagraph or add electrochemical performance and durability parameters to those set out in Annex III in view of technical and scientific progress.

In preparing the delegated act referred to in the first subparagraph, the Commission shall consider the need to reduce the life cycle environmental impact of portable batteries of general use, including by means of increasing the resource efficiency thereof, and shall take into consideration relevant international standards and labelling schemes.

The Commission shall also ensure that the provisions laid down by the delegated act referred to in the first subparagraph do not have a significant adverse impact on the safety and functionality of those batteries or the appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles into which those batteries are incorporated, the affordability and the cost for end-users and the industry’s competitiveness.

3. By 31 December 2030, the Commission shall assess the feasibility of measures to phase out non-rechargeable portable batteries of general use with a view to minimising their environmental impact based on the life cycle assessment methodology and viable alternatives for end-users. To that end, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council and consider taking the appropriate measures, including the adoption of legislative proposals for either the phase out or the setting of eco-design requirements.

Article10¶Performance and durability requirements for rechargeable industrial batteries, LMT batteries and electric vehicle batteries

1. From 18 August 2024, rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, LMT batteries and electric vehicle batteries shall be accompanied by a document containing values for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Part A of Annex IV.

For batteries referred to in the first subparagraph, the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII shall contain an explanation of the technical specifications, standards and conditions used to measure, calculate or estimate the values for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters. That explanation shall include, at least, the elements set out in Part B of Annex IV.

2. From either 18 August 2027 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 5, whichever is the latest, rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, except those with exclusively external storage, shall meet the minimum values laid down in the delegated act adopted pursuant to the first subparagraph of paragraph 5 for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Part A of Annex IV.

3. From either 18 August 2028 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the delegated act referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 5, whichever is the latest, LMT batteries shall meet the minimum values laid down in the delegated act adopted pursuant to the second subparagraph of paragraph 5 for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Part A of Annex IV.

4. Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall not apply to a battery that has been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, where the economic operator placing that battery on the market or putting it into service demonstrates that the battery, before undergoing such operations, has been placed on the market or put into service before the dates on which those obligations become applicable in accordance with those paragraphs.

5. By 18 February 2026, the Commission shall adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by establishing minimum values for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Part A of Annex IV that rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, except those with exclusively external storage, shall attain.

By 18 February 2027, the Commission shall adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by establishing minimum values for the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Part A of Annex IV that LMT batteries shall attain.

In preparing the delegated acts referred to in the first and second subparagraph, the Commission shall consider the need to reduce the life cycle environmental impact of rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, except of those with exclusively external storage, and of LMT batteries, and ensure that the requirements laid down therein do not have a significant adverse impact on the functionality of those batteries or the appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles into which those batteries are incorporated, their affordability and industry’s competitiveness.

6. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in Annex IV in light of market developments and technical and scientific progress, including, in particular, related to technical specifications of the informal UNECE Working Group on Electric Vehicles and the Environment.

Article11¶Removability and replaceability of portable batteries and LMT batteries

1. Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries shall ensure that those batteries are readily removable and replaceable by the end-user at any time during the lifetime of the product. That obligation shall only apply to entire batteries and not to individual cells or other parts included in such batteries.

A portable battery shall be considered readily removable by the end-user where it can be removed from a product with the use of commercially available tools, without requiring the use of specialised tools, unless provided free of charge with the product, proprietary tools, thermal energy, or solvents to disassemble the product.

Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries shall ensure that those products are accompanied with instructions and safety information on the use, removal and replacement of the batteries. Those instructions and that safety information shall be made available permanently online, on a publicly available website, in an easily understandable way for end-users.

This paragraph shall be without prejudice to any specific provisions ensuring a higher level of protection of the environment and human health relating to the removability and replaceability of portable batteries by end-users laid down in any Union law on electrical and electronic equipment as defined in Article 3(1), point (a), of Directive 2012/19/EU.

2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the following products incorporating portable batteries may be designed in such a way as to make the battery removable and replaceable only by independent professionals:

a) appliances specifically designed to operate primarily in an environment that is regularly subject to splashing water, water streams or water immersion, and that are intended to be washable or rinseable;

b) professional medical imaging and radiotherapy devices, as defined in Article 2, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2017/745, and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Regulation (EU) 2017/746.

The derogation set out in point (a) of this paragraph shall only be applicable where such derogation is required to ensure the safety of the user and the appliance.

3. The obligations laid down in paragraph 1 shall not apply where continuity of power supply is necessary and a permanent connection between the product and the respective portable battery is required to ensure the safety of the user and the appliance or, for products that collect and supply data as their main function, for data integrity reasons.

4. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend paragraph 2 of this Article by adding further products to be exempted from the removability and replaceability requirements laid down in paragraph 1 of this Article. Such delegated acts shall be adopted only on account of market developments and technical and scientific progress, and provided that there are scientifically grounded concerns over the safety of end-users removing or replacing the portable battery, or in cases where there is a risk that the removal or the replacement of the battery by end-users would be in violation of any product safety requirements provided for by applicable Union law.

5. Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating LMT batteries shall ensure that those batteries, as well as individual battery cells included in the battery pack, are readily removable and replaceable by an independent professional at any time during the lifetime of the product.

6. For the purposes of paragraphs 1 and 5, a portable battery or LMT battery shall be considered readily replaceable where, after its removal from an appliance or light means of transport, it can be substituted by another compatible battery without affecting the functioning, the performance or the safety of that appliance or light means of transport.

7. Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries or LMT batteries shall ensure that those batteries are available as spare parts of the equipment that they power for a minimum of five years after placing the last unit of the equipment model on the market, with a reasonable and non-discriminatory price for independent professionals and end-users.

8. Software shall not be used to impede the replacement of a portable battery or LMT battery, or of their key components, with another compatible battery or key components.

9. The Commission shall publish guidelines to facilitate the harmonised application of this Article.

Article12¶Safety of stationary battery energy storage systems

1. Stationary battery energy storage systems placed on the market or put into service shall be safe during their normal operation and use.

2. By 18 August 2024, the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII shall:

a) demonstrate that the stationary battery energy storage systems are compliant with paragraph 1 and include evidence that they have been successfully tested for the safety parameters set out in Annex V, for which state-of-the-art testing methodologies shall be used. The safety parameters shall only apply in so far as a corresponding hazard exists for the stationary battery energy storage system in question when it is used under the conditions envisaged by the manufacturer;

b) include an assessment of possible safety hazards of the stationary battery energy storage system that are not addressed in Annex V;

c) include evidence that the hazards referred to in point (b) have been successfully mitigated and tested; state-of-the-art testing methodologies shall be used for such testing;

d) include mitigation instructions in case the identified hazards could occur, for example a fire or explosion.

The technical documentation shall be reviewed if a battery is prepared for re-use, prepared for repurposing, remanufactured or repurposed.

3. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the safety parameters set out in Annex V in view of technical and scientific progress.

Chapter III Labelling, marking and information requirements

Article13¶Labelling and marking of batteries

1. From 18 August 2026 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the implementing act referred to in paragraph 10, whichever is the latest, batteries shall bear a label containing the general information on batteries set out in Part A of Annex VI.

2. From 18 August 2026 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the implementing act referred to in paragraph 10, whichever is the latest, rechargeable portable batteries, LMT batteries and SLI batteries shall bear a label containing information on their capacity.

3. From 18 August 2026 or 18 months after the date of entry into force of the implementing act referred to in paragraph 10, whichever is the latest, non-rechargeable portable batteries shall bear a label containing information on their minimum average duration when used in specific applications and a label indicating ‘non-rechargeable’.

4. From 18 August 2025, all batteries shall be marked with the symbol for separate collection of batteries (‘separate collection symbol’) as shown in Part B of Annex VI.

The separate collection symbol shall cover at least 3 % of the area of the largest side of the battery up to a maximum size of 5 × 5 cm.

In the case of cylindrical battery cells, the separate collection symbol shall cover at least 1,5 % of the surface area of the battery and shall have a maximum size of 5 × 5 cm.

Where the size of the battery is such that the separate collection symbol would be smaller than 0,47 × 0,47 cm, the battery does not need to be marked with that symbol. Instead, a separate collection symbol measuring at least 1 × 1 cm shall be printed on the packaging.

5. All batteries containing more than 0,002 % cadmium or more than 0,004 % lead, shall be marked with the chemical symbol for the metal concerned: Cd or Pb.

The relevant chemical symbol indicating the heavy metal content shall be printed beneath the separate collection symbol and shall cover an area of at least one-quarter the size of that symbol.

6. From 18 February 2027, all batteries shall be marked with a QR code as described in Part C of Annex VI. The QR code shall provide access to the following:

a) for LMT batteries, industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2kWh and electric vehicles batteries, the battery passport in accordance with Article 77;

b) for other batteries, the applicable information referred to in paragraphs 1 to 5 of this Article, the declaration of conformity referred to in Article 18, the report referred to in Article 52(3) and the information regarding the prevention and management of waste batteries laid down in Article 74(1), points (a) to (f);

c) for SLI batteries, the amount of cobalt, lead, lithium or nickel recovered from waste and present in active materials in the battery, calculated in accordance with Article 8.

This information shall be complete, up-to-date and accurate.

7. The labels and the QR code referred to in paragraphs 1 to 6 shall be printed or engraved visibly, legibly and indelibly on the battery. Where this is not possible or not warranted on account of the nature and size of the battery, the labels and the QR code shall be affixed to the packaging and to the documents accompanying the battery.

8. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend this Regulation to provide for alternative types of smart labels for use instead of or in addition to the QR code, in view of technical and scientific progress.

9. Batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing shall bear new labels or shall be marked with markings in accordance with this Article, and containing information on their change of status in accordance with point 4 of Annex XIII, which shall be accessible through the QR code.

10. The Commission shall, by 18 August 2025, adopt implementing acts to establish harmonised specifications for the labelling requirements referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

Article14¶Information on the state of health and expected lifetime of batteries

1. From 18 August 2024, up-to-date data for the parameters for determining the state of health and expected lifetime of batteries as set out in Annex VII shall be contained in the battery management system of stationary battery energy storage systems, LMT batteries and electric vehicle batteries.

2. Read-only access to the data for the parameters set out in Annex VII through the battery management system referred to in paragraph 1 shall be provided, respecting the intellectual property rights of the battery manufacturer, on a non-discriminatory basis to the natural or legal person who has legally purchased the battery, including independent operators or waste management operators, or any third party acting on their behalf at any time, for the purpose of:

a) making the battery available to independent aggregators or market participants through energy storage;

b) evaluating the residual value or remaining lifetime of the battery and capability for further use, based on the estimation of the state of health of the battery;

c) facilitating the preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing of the battery.

3. The battery management system shall include a software reset function, in case economic operators carrying out preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing need to upload different battery management system software. If the software reset function is used, the original battery manufacturer shall not be held liable for any breach of the safety or functionality of the battery that could be attributed to battery management system software uploaded after that battery was placed on the market.

4. The Commission is empowered to adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to amend the parameters for determining the state of health and expected lifetime of batteries set out in Annex VII in view of market developments and technical and scientific progress and to ensure synergies with parameters set in UN Global Technical Regulation No 22 on in-vehicle battery durability for electrified vehicles, with due regard to the intellectual property rights of the battery manufacturer.

5. The provisions of this Article shall apply in addition to those laid down in Union law on type approval of vehicles.

Chapter IV Conformity of batteries

Article15¶Presumption of conformity of batteries

1. For the purposes of compliance and verification of compliance of batteries with the requirements laid down in Articles 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 78, tests, measurements and calculations shall be made using reliable, accurate and reproducible methods which take into account the generally recognised state-of-the-art methods, and the results of which are deemed to be of low uncertainty, including methods set out in standards for which references have been published for those purposes in the Official Journal of the European Union.

2. Harmonised standards shall aim to simulate real-life usage as far as possible while maintaining standard tests.

3. Batteries which are in conformity with harmonised standards, or parts thereof, for which references have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union shall be presumed to be in conformity with the requirements laid down in Articles 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 78 to the extent that those requirements are covered by such harmonised standards or parts thereof, and, if applicable, to the extent that the minimum values established for those requirements pursuant to Articles 9 and 10 are attained.

Article16¶Common specifications

1. In exceptional cases, the Commission may adopt implementing acts laying down common specifications for the requirements laid down in Articles 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 78 or tests referred to in Article 15(1), where:

a) those requirements or tests are not covered by harmonised standards, or parts thereof, for which references have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union;

b) the Commission has requested one or more European standardisation organisations to draft a harmonised standard for those requirements or tests; and

c) at least one of the following conditions has been fulfilled:

i) the request of the Commission has not been accepted by any of the European standardisation organisations,

ii) the Commission observes undue delays in the adoption of the requested harmonised standards, or

iii) a European standardisation organisation has delivered a standard that does not entirely correspond to the request of the Commission.

Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

When preparing the draft implementing act establishing the common specifications, the Commission shall take into account the views of relevant bodies or the expert group and shall duly consult all relevant stakeholders.

2. Batteries which are in conformity with common specifications or parts thereof shall be presumed to be in conformity with the requirements laid down in Articles 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 78 to the extent that those requirements are covered by such common specifications or parts thereof, and, if applicable, to the extent that the minimum values established for those requirements pursuant to Articles 9 and 10 are attained.

3. Where a harmonised standard is adopted by an European standardisation organisation and proposed to the Commission for the purpose of publishing its reference in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Commission shall assess the harmonised standard in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. When the reference of a harmonised standard is published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Commission shall repeal the implementing acts referred to in paragraph 1, or parts thereof which cover the same requirements or tests referred to in paragraph 1.

Article17¶Conformity assessment procedures

1. Conformity assessment of batteries with the requirements laid down in Articles 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 shall be carried out in accordance with one of the following procedures:

a) for batteries manufactured in series:

i) ‘Module A – Internal production control’, set out in Part A of Annex VIII, or

ii) ‘Module D1 – Quality assurance of the production process’, set out in Part B of Annex VIII;

b) for batteries not manufactured in series:

i) ‘Module A – Internal production control’, set out in Part A of Annex VIII, or

ii) ‘Module G – Conformity based on unit verification’, set out in Part C of Annex VIII.

2. Conformity assessment of batteries with requirements laid down in Articles 7 and 8 shall be carried out in accordance with one of the following procedures:

a) ‘Module D1 – Quality assurance of the production process’ set out in Part B of Annex VIII for batteries manufactured in series; or

b) ‘Module G – Conformity based on unit verification’ set out in Part C of Annex VIII for batteries not manufactured in series.

3. An additional conformity assessment of batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, shall be carried out in accordance with the procedure ‘Module A – Internal production control’, set out in Part A of Annex VIII, taking into account the requirements laid down in Articles 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14.

4. Records and correspondence relating to the conformity assessment procedures of batteries shall be drawn up in the official language or languages of the Member State where the notified body carrying out the conformity assessment procedures is established, or in one or more languages accepted by that body.

Article18¶EU declaration of conformity

1. The EU declaration of conformity shall state that the compliance with the requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 has been demonstrated.

2. The EU declaration of conformity shall have the model structure set out in Annex IX, shall contain the elements specified in the relevant modules set out in Annex VIII, and shall be kept up to date. It shall be translated into the language or languages required by the Member State in which the battery is placed or made available on the market or put into service. It shall be drawn up in electronic format and, where requested, it shall be provided in paper format.

3. Where a battery is subject to more than one Union act requiring an EU declaration of conformity, a single EU declaration of conformity shall be drawn up in respect of all such Union acts. That declaration shall state the Union acts concerned and their publication references.

4. By drawing up the EU declaration of conformity, the manufacturer shall assume responsibility for the compliance of the battery with the requirements laid down in this Regulation.

5. Without prejudice to paragraph 3, a single EU declaration of conformity may be made up of one or more individual EU declarations of conformity already drawn up in compliance with a different Union act or acts, in order to reduce the administrative burden on economic operators.

Article19¶General principles of the CE marking

The CE marking shall be subject to the general principles set out in Article 30 of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008.

Article20¶Rules and conditions for affixing the CE marking

1. The CE marking shall be affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly to the battery. Where that is not possible or not warranted due to the nature of the battery, it shall be affixed to the packaging and to the documents accompanying the battery.

2. The CE marking shall be affixed before the battery is placed on the market or put into service.

3. The CE marking shall be followed by the identification number of the notified body where required under Annex VIII. That identification number shall be affixed by the notified body itself or, under its instructions, by the manufacturer or by its authorised representative.

4. The CE marking and the identification number referred to in paragraph 3 may be followed, if applicable, by any pictogram or other mark indicating a special risk, use or any danger linked to the use, storage, treatment or transport of the battery.

5. Member States shall build upon existing mechanisms to ensure correct application of the regime governing the CE marking and shall take appropriate action in the event of improper use of that marking.

Chapter V Notification of conformity assessment bodies

Article21¶Notification

Member States shall notify the Commission and the other Member States of the conformity assessment bodies authorised to carry out conformity assessment tasks in accordance with this Regulation.

Article22¶Notifying authorities

1. Member States shall designate a notifying authority that shall be responsible for setting up and carrying out the necessary procedures for the assessment and notification of conformity assessment bodies and the monitoring of notified bodies, including compliance with Article 27.

2. Member States may decide that the assessment and monitoring referred to in paragraph 1 shall be carried out by a national accreditation body as defined in Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and in accordance with the provisions of that Regulation.

3. Where the notifying authority delegates or otherwise entrusts the assessment, notification or monitoring referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to a body, which is not a governmental entity, that body shall be a legal entity, comply mutatis mutandis with the requirements laid down in Article 23 and have arrangements to cover liabilities arising from its activities.

4. The notifying authority shall take full responsibility for the tasks performed by the body referred to in paragraph 3.

Article23¶Requirements relating to notifying authorities

1. A notifying authority shall be established in such a way that no conflict of interest with conformity assessment bodies occurs.

2. A notifying authority shall be organised and operated in such a way that the objectivity and impartiality of its activities are safeguarded.

3. A notifying authority shall be organised in such a way that each decision relating to notification of a conformity assessment body is taken by competent persons different from those who carried out the assessment of the conformity assessment bodies applying for notification in accordance with Article 28.

4. A notifying authority shall not offer or provide any activities that conformity assessment bodies perform and shall not provide consultancy services on a commercial or competitive basis.

5. A notifying authority shall safeguard the confidentiality of the information it obtains. However, it shall exchange information on notified bodies with the Commission as well as with notifying authorities of other Member States and other relevant national authorities.

6. A notifying authority shall have a sufficient number of competent personnel and sufficient funding at its disposal for the proper performance of its tasks.

Article24¶Information obligation on notifying authorities

Member States shall inform the Commission of their procedures for the assessment and notification of conformity assessment bodies and for the monitoring of notified bodies, and of any changes thereto.

The Commission shall make that information publicly available.

Article25¶Requirements relating to notified bodies

1. For the purposes of notification, a conformity assessment body shall meet the requirements laid down in paragraphs 2 to 11.

2. A conformity assessment body shall be established under the national law of a Member State and shall have legal personality.

3. A conformity assessment body shall be a third-party body independent from business and as regards the batteries it assesses, in particular from battery manufacturers, the battery manufacturers’ trade partners, shareholding investors on the battery manufacturers’ plants and from other notified bodies and the notified bodies’ business associations, parent companies or subsidiaries.

4. A conformity assessment body, its top level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the conformity assessment tasks shall not be the designer, manufacturer, supplier, importer, distributor, installer, purchaser, owner, user or maintainer of the batteries which they assess, nor the representative of any of those parties. That prohibition shall not preclude the use of assessed batteries that are necessary for the operations of the conformity assessment body or the use of such batteries for personal purposes.

A conformity assessment body, its top level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the conformity assessment tasks shall not be directly involved in the design, manufacture, marketing, importation, distribution, installation, use or maintenance of those batteries, or represent the parties engaged in those activities. They shall not engage in any activity that could conflict with their independence of judgement or their integrity in relation to conformity assessment activities for which they are notified. This shall in particular apply to consultancy services.

A conformity assessment body shall ensure that the activities of its parent or sister companies, subsidiaries or subcontractors do not affect the confidentiality, objectivity or impartiality of its conformity assessment activities.

5. A conformity assessment body and its personnel shall carry out the conformity assessment activities with the highest degree of professional integrity and the requisite technical competence in the specific field and shall be free from all pressures and inducements, particularly financial, which might influence their judgement or the results of their conformity assessment activities, especially as regards persons or groups of persons with an interest in the results of those activities.

6. A conformity assessment body shall be capable of carrying out all the conformity assessment tasks assigned to it in Annex VIII, periodical audits in accordance with Article 48(2) and third-party verification in accordance with Article 51 in relation to which it has been notified, whether those tasks are carried out by the conformity assessment body itself or on its behalf and under its responsibility.

At all times, and for each conformity assessment procedure set out in Annex VIII, for periodical audits in accordance with Article 48(2) and third-party verification in accordance with Article 51, and for each category of batteries in relation to which it has been notified, a conformity assessment body shall have at its disposal:

a) the necessary personnel with technical knowledge and sufficient and appropriate experience to perform the conformity assessment tasks;

b) the necessary descriptions of procedures in accordance with which conformity assessment is carried out, ensuring the transparency of those procedures and their ability to be reproduced;

c) appropriate policies and procedures to distinguish between activities that it carries out as a notified body and other tasks;

d) the necessary procedures for the performance of conformity assessment tasks which take due account of the size of an undertaking, the sector in which it operates, its structure, the degree of complexity of the battery technology in question and the mass or serial nature of the production process.

A conformity assessment body shall have the means necessary to perform the technical and administrative tasks related to its conformity assessment activities in an appropriate manner and shall have access to all necessary information, testing equipment or facilities. This shall include establishment and the supervision of internal procedures, general policies, codes of conduct or other internal rules, the assignment of personnel to specific tasks, and conformity assessment decisions, without delegating them to a subcontractor or a subsidiary.

7. The personnel responsible for carrying out conformity assessment tasks shall have the following:

a) sound technical and vocational training covering all the conformity assessment activities in relation to which the conformity assessment body has been notified;

b) satisfactory knowledge of the requirements of the assessments they carry out and adequate authority to carry out those assessments;

c) appropriate knowledge and understanding of the requirements and obligations laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 and in Articles 48 to 52, of the applicable harmonised standards referred to in Article 15 and common specifications referred to in Article 16 and of the relevant provisions of Union harmonisation legislation and of national law;

d) the ability to draw up certificates, records and reports demonstrating that conformity assessments have been carried out.

8. The impartiality of a conformity assessment body, its top level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the conformity assessment tasks shall be guaranteed.

The remuneration of the top-level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the conformity assessments tasks shall not depend on the number of conformity assessments carried out or on the results of those assessments.

9. A conformity assessment body shall take out liability insurance unless liability is assumed by the state in accordance with national law in the notifying Member State, or the Member State itself is directly responsible for the conformity assessment.

10. The personnel of a conformity assessment body shall observe professional secrecy with regard to all information obtained in carrying out the conformity assessment tasks in accordance with Annex VIII, periodical audits in accordance with Article 48(2), or third-party verification in accordance with Article 51, except in relation to the notifying authority and national authorities of the Member State in which its activities are carried out. Proprietary rights shall be protected.

11. A conformity assessment body shall participate in, or ensure that its personnel responsible for carrying out the conformity assessment tasks is informed of, the relevant standardisation activities and the activities of the sectoral coordination group of notified bodies established pursuant to Article 37 and shall apply as general guidance the administrative decisions and documents produced by that group.

Article26¶Presumption of conformity of notified bodies

Where a conformity assessment body demonstrates its conformity with the criteria laid down in the relevant harmonised standards, or parts thereof, for which references have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, it shall be presumed to comply with the requirements laid down in Article 25 in so far as the applicable harmonised standards cover those requirements.

Article27¶Subsidiaries of and subcontracting by notified bodies

1. Where a notified body subcontracts specific tasks related to conformity assessment or has recourse to a subsidiary, it shall ensure that the subcontractor or the subsidiary meets the requirements laid down in Article 25 and shall inform the notifying authority accordingly.

2. A notified body shall take full responsibility for the tasks performed by subcontractors or subsidiaries wherever those are established.

3. A notified body may subcontract activities or have activities carried out by a subsidiary only with the agreement of the client.

4. A notified body shall keep at the disposal of the notifying authority the relevant documents concerning the assessment of the qualifications of the subcontractor or the subsidiary and concerning the work carried out by them under Article 48(2) and Article 51 and under Annex VIII.

Article28¶Application for notification

1. A conformity assessment body shall submit an application for notification to the notifying authority of the Member State in which it is established.

2. The application for notification shall be accompanied by a description of the conformity assessment activities, of the conformity assessment module or modules set out in Annex VIII or the procedures set out in Article 48(2) and Article 51, and of the batteries for which the conformity assessment body claims to be competent, as well as by an accreditation certificate, where applicable, issued by a national accreditation body attesting that the conformity assessment body meets the requirements laid down in Article 25.

3. Where the conformity assessment body concerned cannot provide an accreditation certificate as referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, it shall provide the notifying authority with all the documentary evidence necessary for the verification, recognition and regular monitoring of its compliance with the requirements laid down in Article 25, including appropriate documentation demonstrating that the conformity assessment body is independent within the meaning of Article 25(3).

Article29¶Notification procedure

1. A notifying authority shall only notify conformity assessment bodies which meet the requirements laid down in Article 25.

2. The notifying authority shall send a notification to the Commission and the notifying authorities of the other Member States of each conformity assessment body referred to in paragraph 1 using the electronic notification tool developed and managed by the Commission.

3. The notification shall include full details of the conformity assessment activities, the conformity assessment module or modules or the procedures set out in Article 48(2) and Article 51, the categories of batteries concerned and the relevant attestation of competence.

4. Where a notification is not based on an accreditation certificate as referred to in Article 28(2), the notifying authority shall provide the Commission and the other Member States with documentary evidence which attests to the conformity assessment body’s competence and the arrangements in place to ensure that that body will be monitored regularly and will continue to meet the requirements laid down in Article 25.

5. The conformity assessment body concerned shall perform the activities of a notified body only where no objections are raised by the Commission or the other Member States within two weeks of the notification, where it includes an accreditation certificate referred to in Article 28(2), or within two months of the notification, where it includes documentary evidence referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article. Only such a conformity assessment body shall be considered to be a notified body for the purposes of this Regulation.

6. The notifying authority shall inform the Commission and the other Member States of any subsequent changes to the notification referred to in paragraph 2.

Article30¶Identification numbers and lists of notified bodies

1. The Commission shall assign an identification number to each notified body. It shall assign a single number even where the body is notified under several Union acts.

2. The Commission shall make publicly available and keep updated a list of bodies notified under this Regulation, including the identification numbers that have been assigned to them and the conformity assessment activities for which they have been notified.

Article31¶Changes to notifications

1. Where a notifying authority has ascertained or has been informed that a notified body no longer meets the requirements laid down in Article 25 or that it is failing to fulfil its obligations, the notifying authority shall restrict, suspend or withdraw the notification, as appropriate, depending on the seriousness of the failure to meet those requirements or fulfil those obligations. It shall immediately inform the Commission and the other Member States accordingly.

2. In the event of restriction, suspension or withdrawal of notification pursuant to paragraph 1, or where a notified body has ceased its activity, the notifying authority shall take appropriate steps to ensure that the files of that body are either processed by another notified body or kept available for the responsible notifying and market surveillance authorities at their request.

Article32¶Challenge to the competence of notified bodies

Ändrad genom rättelse till förordning (EU) 2023/1542.

1. The Commission shall investigate all cases where it has a doubt, or a doubt is brought to its attention, in particular by economic operators and other relevant stakeholders, regarding the competence of a notified body or the continued fulfilment by a notified body of the requirements and responsibilities to which it is subject.

2. The notifying authority shall provide the Commission, on request, with all information relating to the basis for the notification or the maintenance of the competence of the notified body concerned.

3. The Commission shall ensure that all sensitive information obtained in the course of its investigations is treated confidentially.

4. Where the Commission ascertains that a notified body does not meet or no longer meets the requirements for its notification, it shall adopt an implementing act requiring the notifying Member State to take the necessary corrective action, including withdrawal of the notification if necessary. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 90(2).

Article33¶Operational obligations of notified bodies

1. A notified body shall carry out conformity assessments in accordance with the conformity assessment procedures set out in Article 48(2), Article 51 or Annex VIII, as determined by the scope of the notification made in accordance with Article 29.

2. A notified body shall carry out conformity assessments in a proportionate manner, avoiding the creation of an unnecessary burden for economic operators, and taking due account of the size of an undertaking, the sector in which the undertaking operates, the structure of the undertaking, the degree of complexity of the battery to be assessed and the mass or serial nature of the production process. The notified body shall nevertheless respect the degree of rigour and the level of protection required for the compliance of the battery and of economic operators with this Regulation.

3. Where a notified body finds that the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13, 14, 49 and 50, in corresponding harmonised standards referred to in Article 15, common specifications referred to in Article 16 or other technical specifications have not been met, it shall require the manufacturer or other relevant economic operator to take appropriate corrective action in anticipation of a second and final conformity assessment, unless the deficiencies cannot be remedied. Where the deficiencies cannot be remedied, the notified body shall not issue the certificate of conformity or approval decision.

4. Where, in the course of the monitoring of conformity following the issue of an approval decision, a notified body finds that there is no longer compliance, it shall require the manufacturer or the economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) as applicable, to take appropriate corrective action and shall suspend or withdraw the approval decision, if necessary.

5. Where corrective action as referred to in paragraph 4 is not taken or does not have the required effect, the notified body shall restrict, suspend or withdraw the approval decision, as appropriate.

Article34¶Appeal against decisions of notified bodies

Member States shall ensure that an appeal procedure against the decisions of notified bodies is available.

Article35¶Information obligation on notified bodies

1. A notified body shall inform the notifying authority of the following:

a) any refusal, restriction, suspension or withdrawal of a certificate of conformity or approval decision;

b) any circumstances affecting the scope of, or the conditions for, its notification;

c) any request for information which it has received from market surveillance authorities regarding its conformity assessment activities;

d) on request, any conformity assessment activities performed within the scope of its notification and any other activity performed, including cross-border activities and subcontracting.

2. A notified body shall provide other notified bodies carrying out similar conformity assessment activities covering the same categories of batteries with relevant information on issues relating to:

a) negative and, on request, positive conformity assessments; and

b) any restriction, suspension or withdrawal of an approval decision.

Article36¶Exchange of experience and good practice

The Commission shall provide for the organisation of exchange of experience and good practice between the Member States’ authorities responsible for notification policy.

Article37¶Coordination of notified bodies

The Commission shall ensure that appropriate coordination and cooperation between notified bodies are put in place and properly operated in the form of a sectoral coordination group of notified bodies.

Notified bodies shall participate in the work of the sectoral coordination group, directly or by means of designated representatives.

Chapter VI Obligations of economic operators other than the obligations in Chapters VII and VIII

Article38¶Obligations of manufacturers

1. When placing a battery on the market or putting it into service, including for the manufacturers’ own purposes, manufacturers shall ensure that the battery:

a) has been designed and manufactured in accordance with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12 and 14, and is accompanied by clear, understandable and readable instructions and safety information in a language or languages which can be easily understood by end-users, as determined by the Member State in which the battery is to be placed on the market or put into service; and

b) is marked and labelled in accordance with Article 13.

2. Before placing a battery on the market or putting it into service, manufacturers shall draw up the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII and carry out the relevant conformity assessment procedure, referred to in Article 17, or have it carried out.

3. Where compliance of a battery with the applicable requirements has been demonstrated by the relevant conformity assessment procedure referred to in Article 17, manufacturers shall draw up an EU declaration of conformity in accordance with Article 18 and affix the CE marking in accordance with Articles 19 and 20.

4. Manufacturers shall keep the technical documentation referred to in Annex IX and the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of national authorities for 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market or put into service.

5. Manufacturers shall ensure that procedures are in place for a battery that is part of a series production to remain in conformity with this Regulation. In doing so, manufacturers shall adequately take into account changes in the production process or in battery design or characteristics and changes in the harmonised standards referred to in Article 15, common specifications referred to in Article 16 or other technical specifications by reference to which the conformity of the battery is declared or by application of which its conformity is verified.

6. Manufacturers shall ensure that batteries which they place on the market bear a model identification and batch or serial number, or product number or another element allowing their identification. Where the size or nature of the battery does not allow it, the required information shall be provided on the packaging or in a document accompanying the battery.

7. Manufacturers shall indicate on the battery their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, their postal address, indicating a single contact point, and, if available, web and email address. Where that is not possible, the required information shall be provided on the packaging or in a document accompanying the battery. The contact details shall be indicated in a language or languages which can be easily understood by end-users and market surveillance authorities, as determined by the Member State in which the battery is to be placed on the market or put into service, and shall be clear, understandable and legible.

8. Manufacturers shall provide access to the data for the parameters set out in Annex VII in the battery management system referred to in Article 14(1), in accordance with the requirements laid down in that Article.

9. Manufacturers who consider or have reason to believe that a battery which they have placed on the market or put into service is not in conformity with one or more of the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 shall immediately take the corrective action necessary to bring that battery into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate. Furthermore, where the battery presents a risk, manufacturers shall immediately inform the market surveillance authority of the Member State in which they made the battery available on the market, giving details, in particular, of the non-compliance and of any corrective action taken.

10. Manufacturers shall, further to a reasoned request from a national authority, provide it with all the information and documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the battery with the requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14, in a language or languages which can be easily understood by that national authority. That information and documentation shall be provided in electronic format and, on request, in paper format. Manufacturers shall cooperate with the national authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by a battery which they have placed on the market or put into service.

11. Economic operators that carry out preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, and place on the market or put into service a battery that has undergone any of those operations, shall be considered to be manufacturers for the purposes of this Regulation.

Article39¶Obligations of suppliers of battery cells and battery modules

Suppliers of battery cells and battery modules shall provide the information and documentation necessary to comply with the requirements of this Regulation when supplying battery cells or modules to a manufacturer. That information and documentation shall be provided free of charge.

Article40¶Obligations of authorised representatives

1. A manufacturer may, by a written mandate, designate an authorised representative.

The authorised representative’s mandate shall be valid only when accepted in writing by the authorised representative.

2. The obligations laid down in Article 38(1) and Articles 48 to 52 and the obligation to draw up technical documentation shall not form part of the authorised representative’s mandate.

3. An authorised representative shall perform the tasks specified in the mandate received from the manufacturer. The authorised representative shall have the appropriate means to perform the tasks specified in the mandate. The authorised representative shall provide a copy of the mandate to the market surveillance authority, upon request, in a Union language determined by that authority. The mandate shall include at least the following tasks:

a) keep the EU declaration of conformity, the technical documentation, the verification report and approval decision referred to in Article 51(2) and the audit reports referred to in Article 48(2) at the disposal of national authorities for 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market or put into service;

b) further to a reasoned request from a national authority, provide it with all the information and documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the battery. That information and the documentation shall be provided in electronic format and, on request, in paper format;

c) cooperate with the national authorities, at their request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by batteries covered by the authorised representative’s mandate.

4. Where the battery presents a risk, authorised representatives shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities thereof.

Article41¶Obligations of importers

1. Importers shall only place on the market a battery which is compliant with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14.

2. Before placing a battery on the market, importers shall verify that:

a) the EU declaration of conformity and technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII have been drawn up and that the relevant conformity assessment procedure referred to in Article 17 has been carried out by the manufacturer;

b) the battery bears the CE marking referred to in Article 19, and is marked and labelled in accordance with Article 13;

c) the battery is accompanied by the documents required pursuant to Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 and by instructions and safety information in a language or languages which can be easily understood by end-users, as determined by the Member State in which the battery is to be made available on the market; and

d) the manufacturer has complied with the requirements laid down in Article 38(6) and (7).

Where an importer considers or has reason to believe that a battery is not in conformity with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14, the importer shall not place that battery on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the battery presents a risk, the importer shall inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities giving details of the non-compliance and of any corrective action taken.

3. Importers shall indicate on the battery their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, their postal address, indicating a single contact point, and, if available, web and email address. Where that is not possible, the required information shall be provided on the packaging or in a document accompanying the battery. The contact details shall be in a language or languages which can be easily understood by end-users, as determined by the Member State in which the battery is to be made available on the market, and shall be clear, understandable and legible.

4. Importers shall ensure that, while a battery is under their responsibility, storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its compliance with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14.

5. When deemed appropriate with regard to the risks presented by a battery, importers shall, to protect the human health and safety of consumers, carry out sample testing of marketed batteries, investigate, and, if necessary, keep a register of complaints, of non-conforming batteries and battery recalls, and shall keep distributors informed of such monitoring.

6. Importers who consider or have reason to believe that a battery which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14, shall immediately take the corrective action necessary to bring that battery into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate. Furthermore, where the battery presents a risk, importers shall immediately inform the market surveillance authority of the Member State in which they made the battery available on the market, giving details, in particular, of the non-compliance and of any corrective action taken.

7. Importers shall, for 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market, keep a copy of the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the national authorities and ensure that the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII is made available to those authorities, upon request.

8. Importers shall, further to a reasoned request from a national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of a battery with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14, in a language or languages which can be easily understood by that authority. That information and the documentation shall be provided in electronic format and, on request, in paper format. Importers shall cooperate with the national authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by batteries, which they have placed on the market.

Article42¶Obligations of distributors

1. When making a battery available on the market, distributors shall act with due care in relation to the requirements of this Regulation.

2. Before making a battery available on the market, distributors shall verify that:

a) the producer is registered in the register of producers referred to in Article 55;

b) the battery bears the CE marking referred to in Article 19 and is marked and labelled in accordance with Article 13;

c) the battery is accompanied by the documents required pursuant to Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 and by instructions and safety information in a language or languages which can be easily understood by end-users, as determined by the Member State in which the battery is to be made available on the market or put into service; and

d) the manufacturer and the importer have complied with the requirements laid down in Article 38(6) and (7) and Article 41(3) respectively.

3. Where a distributor considers or has reason to believe that a battery is not in conformity with Articles 6 to 10 or Article 12, 13 or 14, the distributor shall not make the battery available on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the battery presents a risk, the distributor shall inform the manufacturer or the importer as well as the market surveillance authorities.

4. Distributors shall ensure that, while a battery is under their responsibility, storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its compliance with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14.

5. Distributors who consider or have reason to believe that a battery which they have made available on the market is not in conformity with Articles 6 to 10 or Article 12, 13 or 14 shall make sure that the corrective action necessary to bring that battery into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate, is taken. Furthermore, where the battery presents a risk, distributors shall immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the Member States in which they made the battery available on the market, giving details, in particular, of the non-compliance and of any corrective action taken.

6. Distributors shall, further to a reasoned request from a national authority, provide it with all the information and the documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of a battery with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 in a language or languages which can be easily understood by that national authority. That information and the documentation shall be provided in electronic format and, on request, in paper format. Distributors shall cooperate with the national authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by batteries that they have made available on the market.

Article43¶Obligations of fulfilment service providers

Fulfilment service providers shall ensure that, for batteries that they handle, the conditions during warehousing, packaging, addressing or dispatching, do not jeopardise the batteries’ compliance with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14.

Without prejudice to the obligations of the relevant economic operators laid down in this Chapter, fulfilment service providers shall, in addition to the requirement referred to in the first paragraph, perform the tasks laid down in Article 40(3), point (c), and Article 40(4).

Article44¶Case in which obligations of manufacturers apply to importers and distributors

An importer or distributor shall be considered a manufacturer for the purposes of this Regulation and shall be subject to the obligations of a manufacturer under Article 38, where any of the following applies:

a) a battery is placed on the market or put into service under that importer’s or distributor’s own name or trademark;

b) a battery already placed on the market or put into service is modified by that importer or distributor in such a way that compliance with the relevant requirements of this Regulation could be affected; or

c) the purpose of a battery already placed on the market or put into service is modified by that importer or distributor.

Article45¶Obligations of economic operators placing on the market or putting into service batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing

1. Economic operators placing on the market or putting into service batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing shall ensure that the examination, performance testing, packing and shipment of those batteries, and of such batteries’ components subject to any of those operations, is carried out following adequate quality control and safety instructions.

2. Economic operators placing on the market or putting into service batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing shall ensure that the battery complies with the requirements of this Regulation, any relevant product, environmental, human health protection and transport safety requirements in other Union law, taking into account the fact that, as a result of those operations, the battery might fall under a different battery category. For remanufacturing operations, such economic operators shall provide, upon request, market surveillance authorities with the documentation necessary to demonstrate that the battery has been subject to remanufacturing in accordance with this Regulation.

Article46¶Identification of economic operators

1. Economic operators shall, upon a request of a national authority, provide the following information to the market surveillance authorities:

a) the identity of any economic operator that has supplied them with a battery;

b) the identity of any economic operator to which they have supplied a battery, as well as the quantity and exact models.

2. Economic operators shall ensure that they are able to provide the information referred to in paragraph 1 for 10 years after they have been supplied with the battery and for 10 years after they have supplied the battery.

Chapter VII Obligations of economic operators as regards battery due diligence policies

Article47¶Scope of this Chapter

This Chapter does not apply to economic operators that had a net turnover of less than EUR 40 million in the financial year preceding the last financial year, and that are not part of a group, consisting of parent and subsidiary undertakings, which, on a consolidated basis, exceeds the limit of EUR 40 million.

This Chapter does not apply to economic operators in relation to the placing on the market or putting into service of batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, if such batteries had already been placed on the market or put into service before undergoing such operations.

This Chapter applies without prejudice to the provisions laid down in Union law on due diligence obligations in relation to minerals and metals originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.

Article48¶Battery due diligence policies

Ändrad genom förordning (EU) 2025/1561.

1. From 18 August 2027, economic operators that place batteries on the market or put them into service shall fulfil the due diligence obligations laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article, and in Articles 49, 50 and 52 and shall, to that end, set up and implement battery due diligence policies.

2. Economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall have their battery due diligence policies verified by a notified body in accordance with Article 51 (‘third-party verification’) and periodically audited by that notified body to make sure that the battery due diligence policies are maintained and applied in accordance with Articles 49, 50 and 52. The notified body shall provide the audited economic operator with an audit report.

3. Economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall keep documentation demonstrating their fulfilment of the obligations laid down in Articles 49, 50 and 52, including the verification report and approval decision referred to in Article 51 and the audit reports referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, for 10 years after the last battery manufactured under the relevant battery due diligence policy has been placed on the market.

4. Without prejudice to the individual responsibility of economic operators for their battery due diligence policies, economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article may, for the purposes of compliance with the requirements laid down in Articles 48, 49, 50 and 52, collaborate with other actors, including through due diligence schemes recognised under this Regulation.

5. By 26 July 2026, the Commission shall publish guidelines as regards the application of the due diligence requirements laid down in Articles 49 and 50, with regard to the risks referred to in point 2 of Annex X, and in line, in particular, with the international instruments referred to in points 3 and 4 of Annex X.

6. Member States may, in order to provide information and support to economic operators in fulfilling the due diligence obligations under this Regulation, set up and operate, individually or jointly, dedicated websites, platforms or portals.

7. The Commission may complement the Member State support measures referred to in paragraph 6, by building on existing Union action to support due diligence in the Union and in third countries, and may devise new measures to help economic operators fulfil their obligations under this Regulation.

8. The Commission shall regularly assess the need to update the list of raw materials and risk categories set out in Annex X.

The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to:

a) amend the list of raw materials in point 1 of Annex X and of risk categories in point 2 of Annex X, in view of scientific and technological progress in battery manufacturing and chemistries and amendments to Regulation (EU) 2017/821;

b) amend the list of international instruments in point 3 of Annex X, in accordance with developments within the relevant international fora concerning standards related to due diligence policies and to protection of the environment and of social rights;

c) amend the obligations on the economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article which are laid down in Articles 49 and 50 in view of amendments to Regulation (EU) 2017/821, and amend the list of internationally recognised due diligence instruments set out in point 4 of Annex X.

Article49¶Economic operator’s management system

1. Each economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) shall:

a) adopt, and clearly communicate to suppliers and the public, a company battery due diligence policy, concerning raw materials listed in point 1 of Annex X, and associated social and environmental risk categories listed in point 2 of Annex X;

b) incorporate in its battery due diligence policy standards that are consistent with the standards set out in the internationally recognised due diligence instruments listed in point 4 of Annex X;

c) structure its internal management system to support its battery due diligence policy by assigning responsibility to its top management level to oversee its battery due diligence policy as well as maintain records of that system for a minimum of 10 years;

d) establish and operate a system of controls and transparency regarding the supply chain, including a chain of custody or traceability system, identifying upstream actors in the supply chain;

e) incorporate its battery due diligence policy, including risk management measures, into contracts and agreements with suppliers; and

f) establish a grievance mechanism, including an early-warning risk-awareness system and a remediation mechanism, or provide for such mechanisms through collaborative agreements with other economic operators or organisations or by facilitating recourse to an external expert or body, such as an ombudsman; such mechanisms shall be based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

2. The system referred to in paragraph 1, point (d), shall be supported by documentation that provides at least the following information:

a) a description of the raw material, including its trade name and type;

b) the name and address of the supplier that supplied the raw material present in the batteries to the economic operator that places the batteries containing the raw material in question on the market;

c) the country of origin of the raw material and the market transactions from the raw material’s extraction to the immediate supplier to the economic operator that places the battery on the market;

d) the quantities of the raw material present in the battery placed on the market, expressed in percentage or weight;

e) third-party verification reports issued by a notified body and concerning the suppliers as referred to in Article 50(3);

f) if the reports referred to in point (e) are not available and where the raw material originates from a conflict-affected and high-risk area, additional information in accordance with the specific recommendations for upstream economic operators, as set out in the OECD Due diligence guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, where relevant, such as the mine of origin, locations where the raw material is consolidated, traded and processed, and taxes, fees and royalties are paid.

Third party verification reports referred to in point (e) of the first subparagraph shall be made available by suppliers as referred to in Article 50(3) to the downstream operators of the supply chain.

Article50¶Risk management obligations

1. The economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) shall:

a) identify and assess the risk of adverse impacts in its supply chain, associated with the risk categories listed in point 2 of Annex X as part of its management plan, including on the basis of the information provided pursuant to Article 49 and any other relevant information that is either publicly available or provided by stakeholders, by reference to its battery due diligence policy;

b) design and implement a strategy to respond to the identified risks to prevent, mitigate and otherwise address adverse impacts by:

i) reporting findings of its risk assessment to its top management level assigned in accordance with Article 49(1), point (c);

ii) adopting risk management measures that are consistent with the internationally recognised due diligence instruments listed in point 4 of Annex X, considering its ability to influence, and where necessary take steps to exert pressure on, suppliers, including their subsidiaries and subcontractors, who can most effectively prevent or mitigate the identified risk;

iii) designing and implementing a risk management plan, monitoring and tracking performance of risk mitigation efforts, reporting back to its top management level assigned in accordance with Article 49(1), point (c), and considering suspending or discontinuing engagement with a supplier or its subsidiary or subcontractor after failed attempts at mitigation, based on relevant contracts and agreements referred to in Article 49(1), point (e);

iv) undertaking additional fact and risk assessments for risks requiring mitigation, or after a change of circumstances.

2. If the economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) pursues risk mitigation efforts while continuing trade or temporarily suspending trade, it shall consult with suppliers and with the stakeholders concerned, including local and national government authorities, international or civil society organisations and affected third parties such as local communities, before establishing a strategy for measurable risk mitigation in the risk management plan referred to in paragraph 1, point (b)(iii), of this Article.

3. The economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) shall identify and assess the probability of adverse impacts in the risk categories listed in point 2 of Annex X, in its supply chain. That economic operator shall identify and assess the risks in its supply chain as part of its own risk management systems. The economic operator shall carry out third party verifications of its own due diligence chains via a notified body in accordance with Article 51. The economic operator may use third-party verification reports issued pursuant to Article 51(2) by such a notified body concerning battery due diligence policies implemented by suppliers in that chain in accordance with this Chapter. The economic operator may also use those third-party verification reports to assess, as appropriate, the due diligence practices of those suppliers.

4. The economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) shall report the findings of the risk assessment referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article to its top management level to which responsibility has been assigned in accordance with Article 49(1), point (c), and shall implement the strategy referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), of this Article.

Article51¶Third-party verification of battery due diligence policies

1. The notified body shall carry out third-party verifications. Such third-party verifications shall:

a) cover all activities, processes and systems used by economic operators to fulfil their due diligence obligations in accordance with Articles 49, 50 and 52;

b) have as their objective the determination of conformity of the due diligence practices of economic operators placing batteries on the market in accordance with Articles 49, 50 and 52;

c) where relevant, include checks on undertakings and gather information from stakeholders;

d) identify, for the economic operators that place batteries on the market, areas of potential improvement in relation to their due diligence practices;

e) respect the audit principles of independence, competence and accountability, as set out in the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.

2. The notified body shall issue a verification report that records the activities undertaken in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article and their outcomes. Where the battery due diligence policies referred to in Article 48 fulfil the obligations laid down in Articles 49, 50 and 52, the notified body shall issue an approval decision.

Article52¶Disclosure of information on battery due diligence policies

1. The economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) shall make available upon request to Member States’ market surveillance authorities or national authorities the verification report and approval decision issued in accordance with Article 51, the audit reports referred to in Article 48(2) and available evidence of compliance with a due diligence scheme recognised by the Commission in accordance with Article 53.

2. The economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) shall make available to its immediate downstream purchasers all relevant information gained and maintained pursuant to its battery due diligence policy, with due regard for business confidentiality and other competitive concerns.

3. The economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) shall on an annual basis review and make publicly available, including on the internet, a report on its battery due diligence policy. That report shall contain, in a manner that is easily comprehensible for end-users and clearly identifies the batteries concerned, the data and information on steps taken by that economic operator to comply with the requirements laid down in Articles 49 and 50, including findings of significant adverse impacts in the risk categories listed in point 2 of Annex X, and how they have been addressed, as well as a summary report of the third-party verifications carried out in accordance with Article 51, including the name of the notified body, with due regard for business confidentiality and other competitive concerns. That report shall also cover, where relevant, access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters in relation to the sourcing, processing and trading of the raw materials present in batteries.

4. Where the economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) can demonstrate that the raw materials listed in point 1 of Annex X, that are present in the battery are derived from recycled sources, it shall publicly disclose its conclusions in reasonable detail, with due regard for business confidentiality and other competitive concerns.

Article53¶Recognition of due diligence schemes

1. Governments, industry associations and groupings of interested organisations that have developed and oversee due diligence schemes (‘scheme owners’) may apply to have their due diligence schemes recognised by the Commission. The Commission is empowered to adopt implementing acts establishing the information requirements that the application for recognition is to contain. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

2. Where, on the basis of the evidence and information provided pursuant to the paragraph 1 of this Article, the Commission determines that the due diligence scheme referred to in that paragraph, enables economic operators to meet the requirements laid down in Articles 48, 49, 50 and 52, it shall adopt an implementing act granting that scheme a recognition of equivalence with the requirements laid down in this Regulation. The OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct shall be consulted prior to the adoption of that implementing act. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

When making a determination on the recognition of a due diligence scheme, the Commission shall take into account the diverse industry practices covered by that scheme and shall have regard to the risk-based approach and method used by that scheme to identify risks.

3. The Commission shall adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 setting out the criteria and the methodology according to which the Commission is to determine, in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article, whether due diligence schemes enable economic operators to meet the requirements laid down in Articles 48, 49, 50 and 52. The Commission shall also, as appropriate, periodically verify that recognised due diligence schemes continue to fulfil the criteria that led to a decision to grant recognition of equivalence pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article.

4. The owner of a due diligence scheme for which the recognition of equivalence was granted in accordance with paragraph 2 shall inform the Commission without delay of any changes or updates made to that scheme. The Commission shall assess whether such changes or updates affect the recognition of equivalence of that scheme and take appropriate action.

5. If there is evidence of repeated or significant cases where economic operators implementing a scheme recognised in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article have failed to meet the requirements laid down in Articles 48, 49, 50 and 52, the Commission shall examine, in consultation with the owner of the recognised due diligence scheme, whether those cases indicate deficiencies in the scheme.

6. Where the Commission identifies a failure to comply with the requirements laid down in Articles 48, 49, 50 and 52 or deficiencies in a recognised due diligence scheme, it may grant the scheme owner an appropriate period to take remedial action.

7. Where the scheme owner fails or refuses to take the necessary remedial action, and where the Commission has determined that the failure or deficiencies referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article compromise the ability of the economic operator referred to in Article 48(1) implementing the scheme to comply with the requirements laid down in Articles 48, 49, 50 and 52 or where repeated or significant cases of non-compliance by economic operators implementing a scheme are due to deficiencies in the scheme, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act withdrawing the recognition of equivalence of the scheme. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

8. The Commission shall establish and keep up-to-date a register of recognised due diligence schemes. That register shall be made publicly available on the internet.

Chapter VIII Management of waste batteries

Article54¶Competent authority

1. Member States shall designate one or more competent authorities responsible for the obligations under this Chapter, in particular for monitoring and verifying fulfilment by producers and producer responsibility organisations of their obligations under this Chapter.

2. Each Member State may also designate one contact point, among the competent authorities referred to in paragraph 1, for the purpose of communicating with the Commission pursuant to paragraph 4.

3. Member States shall lay down the details of the competent authority’s or authorities’ organisation and operation, including the administrative and procedural rules for:

a) the registration of producers in accordance with Article 55;

b) the authorisation of producers and producer responsibility organisations in accordance with Article 58;

c) the oversight of implementation of extended producer responsibility obligations in accordance with Article 57;

d) the collection of data on batteries and waste batteries in accordance with Article 75;

e) making information available in accordance with Article 76.

4. By 18 November 2025, Member States shall notify the Commission of the names and addresses of the competent authorities designated pursuant to paragraph 1. Member States shall inform the Commission without undue delay of any changes to the names or addresses of those competent authorities.

Article55¶Register of producers

1. Member States shall establish a register of producers which shall serve to monitor compliance of producers with the requirements of this Chapter.

2. Producers shall register in the register referred to in paragraph 1. They shall to that end submit an application for registration in each Member State where they make a battery available on the market for the first time.

Producers shall submit the application for registration via an electronic data-processing system as referred to in paragraph 9, point (a).

Producers shall only make available batteries, including those incorporated in appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles, on the market of a Member State, if they or, in the case of authorisation, their authorised representatives for extended producer responsibility, are registered in that Member State.

3. The application for registration shall include the following information:

a) name, and brand names if available, under which the producer operates in the Member State and address of the producer, including postal code and place, street and number, country, telephone number, if any, web and email address, indicating a single contact point;

b) national identification code of the producer, including its trade register number or equivalent official registration number and the European or national tax identification number;

c) the category, or categories, of batteries that the producer intends to make available on the market for the first time within the territory of a Member State, namely portable batteries, industrial batteries, LMT batteries, electric vehicle batteries, or SLI batteries, and their chemistry;

d) information on how the producer meets its responsibilities laid down in Article 56 and the requirements under Articles 59, 60 and 61, respectively:

i) for portable batteries or LMT batteries, the requirements of point (d) shall be met by providing:

information in written form on the measures put in place by the producer to fulfil the producer responsibility obligations laid down in Article 56, the measures put in place to fulfil the separate collection obligations laid down in Article 59(1) or Article 60(1) with regard to the amount of batteries the producer makes available on the market in the Member State, and on the system to ensure that the data reported to the competent authorities are reliable;

where applicable, the name and contact details, including postal code and place, street and number, country, telephone number, web and email address and the national identification code of the producer responsibility organisation appointed by the producer to fulfil its extended producer responsibility obligations in accordance with Article 57(1) and (2), including the trade register number or an equivalent official registration number and the European or national tax identification number of the producer responsibility organisation, and the represented producer’s mandate;

ii) for SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries, the requirements of point (d) shall be met by providing:

information in written form on the measures put in place by the producer to fulfil the producer responsibility obligations laid down in Article 56, the measures put in place to fulfil the collection obligations laid down in Article 61(1) with regard to the amount of batteries the producer makes available on the market in the Member State and on the system to ensure that the data reported to the competent authorities are reliable;

where applicable, the name and contact details, including postal code and place, street and number, country, telephone number, web and email address and the national identification code of the producer responsibility organisation appointed by the producer to fulfil its extended producer responsibility obligations in accordance with Article 57(1) and (2), including the trade register number or an equivalent official registration number and the European or national tax identification number of the producer responsibility organisation, and the represented producer’s mandate.

e) a statement by the producer or, where applicable, authorised representative for extended producer responsibility or the producer responsibility organisation appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), stating that the information provided is true.

4. Without prejudice to paragraph 3 of this Article, the information laid down in point (d) of that paragraph shall be provided either in the application for registration under paragraph 3 of this Article or in the application for authorisation under Article 58. Such application for authorisation shall include at least information on either individual or collective fulfilment of the extended producer responsibility obligations.

5. Member States may request additional information or documents, as necessary, to use the register of producers in an efficient manner.

6. Where a producer has appointed a producer responsibility organisation in accordance with Article 57(1), the obligations under this Article shall be met by that organisation mutatis mutandis unless otherwise specified by the Member State.

7. The obligations under this Article may be fulfilled on a producer’s behalf by an authorised representative for extended producer responsibility.

Where obligations under this Article are fulfilled on a producer’s behalf by an authorised representative for extended producer responsibility that represents more than one producer, in addition to the information required under paragraph 3, that authorised representative shall provide the name and the contact details for each of the represented producers separately.

8. Member States may decide that the registration procedure pursuant to this Article and the authorisation procedure pursuant to Article 58 constitute a single procedure, provided that the application meets the requirements laid down in paragraphs (3) to (7) of this Article.

9. The competent authority shall:

a) make available on its website information about the application process via an electronic data-processing system;

b) grant registrations and provide a registration number within a maximum period of 12 weeks from the moment that all the information required under paragraphs 2 and 3 is provided.

10. The competent authority may:

a) lay down modalities with regard to the requirements and process of registration without adding substantive requirements to those laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3;

b) charge cost-based and proportionate fees to producers for the processing of the applications referred to in paragraph 2.

11. The competent authority may refuse to register a producer or withdraw the producer’s registration where the information referred to in paragraph 3 and related documentary evidence are not provided or are not sufficient, or where the producer no longer meets the requirements laid down in paragraph 3, point (d).

The competent authority shall withdraw the producer’s registration if it has ceased to exist.

12. The producer, or, where applicable, authorised representative for extended producer responsibility or the producer responsibility organisation appointed on behalf of the producers it represents shall without undue delay notify the competent authority of any changes to the information contained in the registration and of any permanent cessation as regards the making available on the market within the territory of the Member State of the batteries referred to in the registration.

13. Where the information in the register of producers is not publicly accessible, Member States shall ensure that providers of online platforms allowing consumers to conclude distance contracts with producers are granted access, free of charge, to the information in the register.

Article56¶Extended Producer Responsibility

1. Producers shall have extended producer responsibility for batteries that they make available on the market for the first time within the territory of a Member State. Such producers shall comply with the requirements of Articles 8 and 8a of Directive 2008/98/EC and of this Chapter.

2. An economic operator that makes available on the market for the first time within the territory of a Member State a battery that results from preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing operations shall be considered to be the producer of such battery for the purposes of this Regulation and shall have extended producer responsibility.

3. A producer as defined in Article 3, point (47)(d) shall appoint an authorised representative for extended producer responsibility in each Member State in which it sells batteries. Such appointment shall be made by written mandate.

4. The financial contributions to be paid by the producer shall cover the following costs for the products that the producer makes available on the market in the Member State concerned:

a) costs of separate collection of waste batteries and their subsequent transport and treatment, taking into account any revenues obtained from preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing or from the value of secondary raw materials recovered from recycled waste batteries;

b) costs of carrying out a compositional survey of collected mixed municipal waste in accordance with Article 69(5);

c) costs of providing information on prevention and management of waste batteries in accordance with Article 74;

d) costs of data gathering and reporting to the competent authorities in accordance with Article 75.

5. In the case of making available batteries that have been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, both the producers of the original batteries and the producers of the batteries that are placed on the market as a result of those operations, may establish and adjust a cost sharing mechanism, based on the actual attribution of costs between the different producers, for the costs referred to in paragraph 4, points (a), (c) and (d).

Where a battery referred to in paragraph 2 is subject to more than one extended producer responsibility, the first producer making that battery available on the market shall not bear additional costs as a result of the cost sharing mechanism referred to in the first subparagraph.

The Commission shall facilitate the exchange of information and sharing of best practices among Member States regarding such cost sharing mechanisms.

Article57¶Producer Responsibility Organisation

1. Producers may appoint a producer responsibility organisation authorised in accordance with Article 58 to fulfil the extended producer responsibility obligations on their behalf. Member States may adopt measures to make the appointment of a producer responsibility organisation mandatory. Such measures shall be justified on the basis of the specific characteristics of a given category of batteries placed on the market and related waste management characteristics.

2. In the case of a collective fulfilment of extended producer responsibility obligations, producer responsibility organisations shall ensure equal treatment of producers regardless of their origin or size, without placing a disproportionate burden on producers of small quantities of batteries, including small- and medium-sized enterprises. They shall also ensure that the financial contributions paid to them by producers:

a) are modulated in accordance with Article 8a(4), point (b), of Directive 2008/98/EC and as a minimum by battery category and battery chemistry, taking into account as appropriate the rechargeability, the level of recycled content in the manufacture of batteries and whether the batteries were subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, and their carbon footprint; and

b) are adjusted to take account of any revenues obtained by the producer responsibility organisations from preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing or from the value of secondary raw materials recovered from recycled waste batteries.

3. Where, in a Member State, multiple producer responsibility organisations are authorised to fulfil extended producer responsibility obligations on behalf of producers, they shall ensure coverage across the whole territory of the Member State of the activities referred to in Article 59(1), Article 60(1) and Article 61(1). Member States shall designate the competent authority or appoint an independent third party to ensure that producer responsibility organisations fulfil their obligations in coordinated manner.

4. Producer responsibility organisations shall ensure the confidentiality of the data in its possession as regards proprietary information or information directly attributable to individual producers or their authorised representatives for extended producer responsibility.

5. In addition to the information referred to in Article 8a(3), point (e), of Directive 2008/98/EC, producer responsibility organisations shall publish on their websites at least each year, subject to commercial and industrial confidentiality, the information on the rate of separate collection of waste batteries, recycling efficiencies and the levels of recovery of materials achieved by the producers which appointed the producer responsibility organisation.

6. In addition to the information referred to in paragraph 5, producer responsibility organisations shall make publicly available information on the selection procedure for waste management operators selected in accordance with paragraph 8.

7. Where necessary to avoid distortion of the internal market, the Commission is empowered to adopt an implementing act laying down criteria for the application of paragraph 2, point (a), of this Article. That implementing act shall not concern the precise determination of the level of the contributions and shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

8. Waste management operators shall be subject to a non-discriminatory selection procedure, based on transparent award criteria, carried out by producers or producer responsibility organisations and which does not place a disproportionate burden on small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Article58¶Authorisation on fulfilment of extended producer responsibility

1. A producer, in the case of individual fulfilment of extended producer responsibility obligations, and producer responsibility organisations appointed in the case of collective fulfilment of extended producer responsibility obligations, shall apply for an authorisation on fulfilment of extended producer responsibility from the competent authority.

2. The authorisation shall be granted only where it is demonstrated:

a) that requirements laid down in Article 8a(3), points (a) to (d), of the Directive 2008/98/EC are complied with and the measures put in place by the producer or producer responsibility organisation are sufficient to fulfil the obligations set out in this Chapter with regard to the amount of batteries made available on the market for the first time within the territory of a Member State by the producer or producers on whose behalf the producer responsibility organisation acts; and

b) by providing documentary evidence, that the requirements of Article 59(1) and (2) or the requirements of Article 60(1), (2) and (4), are complied with and that all the arrangements are in place to make it possible to attain and maintain durably at least the collection target referred to in Article 59(3) and Article 60(3), respectively.

3. Member States shall, in their measures laying down administrative and procedural rules referred to in Article 54(3), point (b), include the details of the authorisation procedure, which may differ according to whether it relates to individual or collective fulfilment of the extended producer responsibility obligations, and the modalities for verifying compliance of producers or producer responsibility organisations, including the information to be provided by producers or producer responsibility organisations to that end. The authorisation procedure shall include requirements on the verification of the arrangements put in place to ensure compliance with the requirements laid down in Article 59(1) and (2) and in Article 60(1), (2) and (4), and timeframes for the verification, which shall not exceed 12 weeks from the submission of a complete application dossier. The verification may be carried out by an independent expert, which shall issue a verification report on the result of verification.

4. The producer or the producer responsibility organisations shall notify the competent authority without undue delay of any changes to the information contained in the authorisation, of any changes that concern the terms of the authorisation or of the permanent cessation of operations.

5. The self-control mechanism provided for in Article 8a(3), point (d), of Directive 2008/98/EC shall be carried out regularly, and at least every three years, and upon request by the competent authority, in order to verify that the provisions in that point are complied with and the conditions for authorisation referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article continue to be met. The producer or the producer responsibility organisation shall, upon request, present a self-control report and, where necessary, the draft corrective action plan to the competent authority. Without prejudice to the competencies under paragraph 6 of this Article, the competent authority may make observations on the self-control report and on the draft corrective action plan, and shall communicate any such observations to the producer or the producer responsibility organisation. The producer or the producer responsibility organisation shall draw up and implement the corrective action plan based on those observations.

6. The competent authority may decide to revoke the authorisation if collection targets laid down in Article 59(3) or Article 60(3) are not met or the producer or producer responsibility organisation no longer meets the requirements with regard to the organisation of the collection and treatment of waste batteries or fails in relation to reporting to the competent authority or fails to notify it of any changes that concern the terms of the authorisation, or has ceased operations.

7. A producer, in the case of individual fulfilment of extended producer responsibility obligations, and producer responsibility organisations appointed in the case of collective fulfilment of extended producer responsibility, shall provide a guarantee intended to cover the costs related to waste management operations due by the producer, or the producer responsibility organisation, in the event of non-compliance with the extended producer responsibility obligations, including in the event of permanent cessation of their operations or insolvency. Member States may specify additional requirements concerning such guarantee. In the case of a state-run producer responsibility organisation, such guarantee may be provided otherwise than by the organisation itself and may take the form of a public fund that is financed by producers’ fees and for which the Member State running the organisation is jointly and severally liable.

Article59¶Collection of waste portable batteries

1. Producers of portable batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall ensure that all waste portable batteries, regardless of their nature, chemical composition, condition, brand or origin, are collected separately in the territory of a Member State where they make portable batteries available on the market for the first time. For that purpose they shall:

a) establish a waste portable battery take-back and collection system;

b) offer the collection of waste portable batteries, free of charge, to the entities referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), and provide for the collection of waste portable batteries from all entities that have made use of that offer (‘connected collection points for waste portable batteries’);

c) provide for the necessary practical arrangements for collection and transport of waste portable batteries, including the provision, free of charge, of suitable collection and transport containers meeting the requirements of Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, to the connected collection points for waste portable batteries;

d) collect, free of charge, the waste portable batteries collected at the connected collection points, with a frequency that is proportionate to the area covered and the volume and hazardous nature of the waste portable batteries usually collected through the connected collection points for waste portable batteries;

e) collect, free of charge, the waste portable batteries removed from waste electrical and electronic equipment, with a frequency that is proportionate to the volume and hazardous nature of the waste portable batteries;

f) ensure that the waste portable batteries collected from the connected collection points for waste portable batteries and removed from waste electrical and electronic equipment are subsequently subject to treatment in a permitted facility by a waste management operator in accordance with Article 70.

2. Producers of portable batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall ensure that the waste portable battery take-back and collection system:

a) consists of collection points set up by them in cooperation with one or more of the following:

i) distributors in accordance with Article 62;

ii) end-of-life vehicle treatment facilities subject to Directive 2000/53/EC;

iii) public authorities, or third parties carrying out waste management on their behalf, in accordance with Article 66;

iv) voluntary collection points in accordance with Article 67;

v) waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment facilities subject to Directive 2012/19/EU; and

b) covers the whole territory of the Member State taking into account population size and density, expected volume of waste portable batteries, accessibility for and proximity to end-users, not being limited to areas where the collection and subsequent management of waste portable batteries is profitable.

3. Producers of portable batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall attain, and maintain durably, at least the following collection targets for waste portable batteries:

a) 45 % by 31 December 2023;

b) 63 % by 31 December 2027;

c) 73 % by 31 December 2030.

Producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall calculate the collection rate referred to in this paragraph in accordance with Annex XI.

4. End-users shall be able to discard waste portable batteries at collection points referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), and shall not be charged or be obliged to buy a new battery or to have bought the portable battery from the producers who set up the collection points.

5. Collection points set up in accordance with paragraph 2, points (a)(i), (iii) and (iv), shall not be subject to the registration or permit requirements of Directive 2008/98/EC.

6. Member States may adopt measures to require that the collection points referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), of this Article may collect waste portable batteries only if they have concluded a contract with the producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations.

7. In view of the expected development of the market and increase of the expected lifetime of rechargeable portable batteries, and in order to better ascertain the actual volume of waste portable batteries available for collection, the Commission is empowered to adopt, by 18 August 2027 delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the methodology to calculate the collection rate of portable batteries set out in Annex XI and to amend the collection target laid down in paragraph 3 of this Article to adapt that collection target to the new methodology while maintaining equivalent ambition and timelines.

Article60¶Collection of waste LMT batteries

1. Producers of LMT batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall ensure that all waste LMT batteries, regardless of their nature, chemical composition, condition, brand or origin, are collected separately in the territory of a Member State where they make batteries available on the market for the first time. For that purpose they shall:

a) establish a waste LMT battery take back and collection system;

b) offer the collection of waste LMT batteries, free of charge, to the entities referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), and provide for the collection of waste LMT batteries from all entities that have made use of that offer (‘connected collection points for LMT batteries’);

c) provide for the necessary practical arrangements for collection and transport of waste LMT batteries, including the provision, free of charge, of suitable collection and transport containers meeting the requirements of Directive 2008/68/EC, to the connected collection points for LMT batteries;

d) collect, free of charge, the waste LMT batteries collected at the connected collection points for LMT batteries, with a frequency that is proportionate to the area covered and the volume and hazardous nature of the waste LMT batteries usually collected at those collection points;

e) collect, free of charge, the waste LMT batteries removed from waste electrical and electronic equipment, with a frequency that is proportionate to the volume and hazardous nature of the waste LMT batteries;

f) ensure that the waste LMT batteries collected from the connected collection points for LMT batteries and removed from waste electrical and electronic equipment are subsequently subject to treatment in a permitted facility by a waste management operator in accordance with Article 70.

2. Producers of LMT batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall ensure that the take back and collection system for waste LMT batteries:

a) consists of collection points set up by them in cooperation with one or more of the following:

i) distributors in accordance with Article 62;

ii) end-of-life vehicle treatment facilities subject to Directive 2000/53/EC;

iii) public authorities, or third parties carrying out waste management on their behalf, in accordance with Article 66;

iv) voluntary collection points in accordance with Article 67;

v) waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment facilities subject to Directive 2012/19/EU; and

b) covers the whole territory of the Member State taking into account population size and density, expected volume of waste LMT batteries, accessibility for and proximity to end-users, not being limited to areas where the collection and subsequent management of waste LMT batteries is profitable.

3. Producers of LMT batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall attain, and maintain durably, at least the following collection targets of waste LMT batteries:

a) 51 % by 31 December 2028;

b) 61 % by 31 December 2031.

Producers of LMT batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations shall calculate the collection rate referred to in this paragraph in accordance with Annex XI.

4. Producers of LMT batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall:

a) set up the collection points referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), with suitable collection infrastructure for the separate collection of waste LMT batteries meeting the applicable safety requirements and cover the necessary costs incurred by those collection points in relation to the take back activities; the containers for collection and temporary storage of such waste batteries at the collection points shall be suitable in view of the volume and hazardous nature of waste LMT batteries that are likely to be collected through those collection points;

b) collect waste LMT batteries from the collection points referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), with a frequency that is proportionate to the storage capacity of the separate collection infrastructure and the volume and hazardous nature of waste batteries that are usually collected through those collection points; and

c) provide for the delivery of waste LMT batteries collected from the collection points referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), of this Article to permitted facilities for treatment in accordance with Articles 70 and 73.

5. End-users shall be able to discard waste LMT batteries at collection points referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), and shall not be charged or be obliged to buy a new battery or to have bought the LMT battery from the producers who set up the collection points.

6. Collection points set up in accordance with paragraph 2, points (a)(i), (iii) and (iv), shall not be subject to the registration or permit requirements of Directive 2008/98/EC.

7. Member States may adopt measures to require that the collection points referred to in paragraph 2, point (a), of this Article may collect waste LMT batteries only if they have concluded a contract with the producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations.

8. In view of the expected development of the market and increase of the expected lifetime of LMT batteries, and in order to better ascertain the actual volume of waste LMT batteries available for collection, the Commission is empowered to adopt, by 18 August 2027, delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the methodology to calculate the collection rate of waste LMT batteries set out in Annex XI and to amend the collection target laid down in paragraph 3 of this Article to adapt the collection target to the new methodology while maintaining equivalent ambition and timelines.

Article61¶Collection of waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries

1. Producers of SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall take back, free of charge and without an obligation on the end-user to buy a new battery, nor to have bought the battery from them, and shall ensure that all waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries regardless of their nature, chemical composition, condition, brand, or origin of the respective category that they have made available on the market for the first time in the territory of that Member State are collected separately. For that purpose, they shall accept to take back waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries from end-users, or from take-back and collection systems which include collection points set up by them in cooperation with:

a) distributors of SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries in accordance with Article 62(1);

b) operators carrying out remanufacturing or repurposing of SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries;

c) waste electrical and electronic equipment and end-of-life vehicle treatment facilities referred to in Article 65 for the waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries arising from their operations;

d) public authorities or third parties carrying out waste management on their behalf in accordance with Article 66.

Member States may adopt measures to require that the entities referred to in the first subparagraph, points (a) to (d), may collect waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries only if they have concluded a contract with the producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations.

Where waste industrial batteries require prior dismantling at the premises of private, non-commercial users, the obligation of the producer to take back those waste batteries shall not result in any costs related to the dismantling and collection of those waste batteries being borne by those users.

2. The take-back arrangements put in place in accordance with paragraph 1 shall cover the whole territory of a Member State taking into account population size and density, expected volume of waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries, accessibility for and proximity to end-users, not being limited to areas where the collection and subsequent management of waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries is profitable.

3. Producers of SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, shall:

a) provide the take back and collection systems referred to in paragraph 1 with suitable collection infrastructure for the separate collection of waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries meeting the applicable safety requirements, and cover the necessary costs incurred by those take back and collection systems in relation to the take back activities; the containers for collection and temporary storage of such waste batteries at the take back and collection systems shall be suitable in view of the volume and hazardous nature of waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries that are likely to be collected through those collection points;

b) collect waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries from the take back and collection systems referred to in paragraph 1 with a frequency that is proportionate to the storage capacity of the separate collection infrastructure and the volume and hazardous nature of waste batteries that are usually collected through those take back and collection systems; and

c) provide for the delivery of waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries collected from end-users and from the take back and collection systems referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to permitted facilities for treatment in accordance with Articles 70 and 73.

4. The entities referred to in paragraph 1, points (a) to (d), of this Article may hand over collected waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries to waste management operators selected in accordance with Article 57(8) with a view to their treatment in accordance with Article 70. In such cases, the obligation of producers pursuant to paragraph 3, point (c), of this Article shall be deemed to be met.

Article62¶Obligations of distributors

1. Distributors shall take back waste batteries from the end-user free of charge and without imposing an obligation on the end-user to buy or to have bought a new battery, regardless of their chemical composition, brand or origin as follows:

a) for waste portable batteries, at or in the immediate vicinity of the distributor’s retail outlet;

b) for waste LMT batteries, waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries, at or in the vicinity of the distributor’s retail outlet.

2. The take back obligation laid down in paragraph 1:

a) shall not apply to waste products containing batteries;

b) shall be limited to the categories of waste batteries which the distributor has or had as batteries in its offer and, for waste portable batteries, to the quantity that non-professional end-users normally discard.

3. Distributors shall hand over waste batteries that they have taken back to the producers or producer responsibility organisations who are responsible for collecting those waste batteries in accordance with Articles 59, 60 and 61 respectively, or to a waste management operator selected in accordance with Article 57(8) with a view to their treatment in accordance with Article 70.

4. The obligations under this Article shall apply mutatis mutandis to distributors that supply batteries by means of distance contracts to end-users. Those distributors shall provide for a sufficient number of collection points covering the whole territory of a Member State and taking into account population size and density, expected volume of waste portable batteries, waste LMT batteries, waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries respectively, and accessibility for and proximity to end-users, allowing end-users to return batteries.

5. In the case of sales with delivery, distributors shall offer to take back waste portable batteries, waste LMT batteries, waste industrial batteries, waste SLI batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries free of charge at the point of delivery to the end-user or at a local collection point. The end-user shall be informed when ordering a battery of the take back arrangements for a waste battery.

6. For the purposes of compliance with Article 30(1), points (d) and (e), of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, providers of online platforms, falling within the scope of Section 4 of Chapter III of that Regulation, that allow consumers to conclude distance contracts with producers shall obtain the following information from producers offering batteries, including batteries incorporated in appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles, to consumers located in the Union:

a) details concerning the register of producers referred to in Article 55 and the producer’s registration number or registration numbers in that register;

b) a self-certification by the producer committing to only offer batteries, including those incorporated in appliances, light means of transport or other vehicles, with regard to which the extended producer responsibility requirements referred to in Article 56(1), (2), (3) and (4), Article 57(1) and Article 58(1), (2) and (7) are complied with.

Article63¶Deposit return systems for batteries

By 31 December 2027, the Commission shall assess the feasibility and potential benefits of establishment of deposit return systems for batteries, in particular for portable batteries of general use. To that end, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council and consider taking appropriate measures, including the adoption of legislative proposals.

Article64¶Obligations of end-users

1. End-users shall discard waste batteries separately from other waste streams, including from mixed municipal waste.

2. End-users shall discard waste batteries in designated separate collection points set up by, or in accordance with the specific arrangements concluded with, the producer or a producer responsibility organisation, in accordance with Articles 59, 60 and 61.

Article65¶Obligations of operators of treatment facilities

1. Operators of treatment facilities subject to Directives 2000/53/EC or 2012/19/EU shall hand over waste batteries resulting from the treatment of end-of-life vehicles or waste electrical and electronic equipment to producers of the relevant category of batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, or to waste management operators selected in accordance with Article 57(8) with a view to their treatment in accordance with Article 70.

2. The operators of treatment facilities referred to in paragraph 1 shall keep records of those handover transactions.

Article66¶Participation of public waste management authorities

1. Waste batteries originating from private, non-commercial end-users may be discarded in separate collection points set up by public waste management authorities.

2. Public waste management authorities shall ensure that collected waste batteries are treated in accordance with Article 70, either by:

a) handing them over to producers of the relevant category of batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), to producer responsibility organisations, or to waste management operators selected in accordance with Article 57(8); or

b) carrying out the treatment of the collected waste batteries themselves in accordance with Article 68(2).

Article67¶Participation of voluntary collection points

1. Voluntary collection points for waste portable batteries shall hand over collected waste portable batteries to the producers of portable batteries or third parties acting on their behalf, including producer responsibility organisations, or to waste management operators selected in accordance with Article 57(8) with a view to their treatment in accordance with Article 70.

2. Voluntary collection points for waste LMT batteries shall hand over collected waste LMT batteries to the producers of LMT batteries or third parties acting on their behalf, including producer responsibility organisations, or to waste management operators selected in accordance with Article 57(8) with a view to their treatment in accordance with Article 70.

Article68¶Restrictions regarding handover of waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries

1. Member States may restrict the ability of distributors, operators of waste treatment facilities referred to in Article 65, public waste management authorities referred to in Article 66 and voluntary collection points referred to in Article 67 to hand over collected waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries either to producers or producer responsibility organisations, or to a waste management operator to carry out treatment in accordance with Article 70. Member States shall ensure that such restrictions do not have an adverse impact on the collection and recycling systems.

2. Member States may also adopt measures to allow public waste management authorities referred to in Article 66 to carry out treatment in accordance with Article 70 themselves.

Article69¶Obligations for Member States regarding collection targets for waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries

1. Member States shall adopt the necessary measures for the achievement by producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, of the collection targets laid down in Article 59(3), first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c), with regard to waste portable batteries, and laid down in Article 60(3), first subparagraph, points (a) and (b), with regard to waste LMT batteries.

2. In particular, Member States shall regularly, at least once a year, monitor producers’ or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations’ collection rates to verify that they have taken adequate measures to achieve the collection targets laid down in Article 59(3), first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c) with regard to waste portable batteries, and laid down in Article 60(3), first subparagraph, points (a) and (b) with regard to waste LMT batteries. Such monitoring shall be based in particular on the information reported to the competent authorities in accordance with Article 75 and shall include the verification of that information, and of whether the producer has complied with the calculation methodology set out in Annex XI and the results of the compositional survey referred to in paragraph 5 of this Article and any other information available to the Member State.

3. Where, on the basis of the monitoring referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, a Member State finds that a producer or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), a producer responsibility organisation, has not taken measures consistent with the achievement of the collection targets laid down in Article 59(3), first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c) with regard to waste portable batteries, or laid down in Article 60(3), first subparagraph, points (a) and (b) with regard to waste LMT batteries, the competent authority of that Member State shall request that producer or producer responsibility organisation to take appropriate corrective action ensuring that it can achieve the collection targets laid down in either of those Articles, as applicable.

4. Without prejudice to the self-control mechanism referred to in Article 58(5), the producer or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisation shall present a draft corrective action plan to the competent authority within three months of the request by the competent authority referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article. That competent authority may make observations on the draft plan, and shall communicate any such observations to the producer or the producer responsibility organisation within one month of the reception of the draft corrective action plan.

Where the competent authority communicates its observations on the draft corrective action plan, the producer or the producer responsibility organisations shall, within one month of receipt of those observations, draw up the corrective action plan, taking into account those observations, and shall implement it accordingly.

The content of the corrective action plan and the compliance with it by the producer or the producer responsibility organisation shall be taken into account when evaluating whether the conditions for the registration laid down in Article 55 and, where applicable, the authorisation laid down in Article 58 continue to be met.

5. By 1 January 2026 and every five years thereafter, Member States shall carry out a compositional survey of collected mixed municipal waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment streams for the preceding calendar year to determine the share of waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries therein. On the basis of those surveys, the competent authorities may require that the producers of portable batteries, producers of LMT batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), the respective producer responsibility organisations take corrective action to increase their network of connected collection points and carry out information campaigns in accordance with Article 74(1).

Article70¶Treatment

1. Collected waste batteries shall not be disposed of or be the subject of an energy recovery operation.

2. Without prejudice to Directive 2010/75/EU, permitted facilities shall ensure that treatment for waste batteries complies, as a minimum, with Part A of Annex XII to this Regulation and with best available techniques defined in Article 3, point (10), of Directive 2010/75/EU.

3. Where batteries are collected while still incorporated in a waste appliance, a waste light means of transport or an end-of-life vehicle, they shall be removed from the waste appliance, waste light means of transport or end-of-life vehicle in accordance with, where applicable, the requirements laid down in Directives 2000/53/EC or 2012/19/EU.

4. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the treatment requirements for waste batteries set out in Part A of Annex XII in light of technical and scientific progress and emerging new technologies in waste management.

5. Member States may set up incentive schemes for economic operators that achieve higher rates than the targets set out in Parts B and C of Annex XII for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials respectively.

Article71¶Targets for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials

1. Each permitted facility shall ensure that all waste batteries made available to that facility are accepted and undergo preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing or recycling.

2. Recyclers shall ensure that recycling achieves the targets for recycling efficiency and the targets for recovery of materials set out in Parts B and C of Annex XII respectively.

3. The rates for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials shall be calculated in accordance with the rules laid down in a delegated act adopted pursuant to paragraph 4 of this Article.

4. The Commission shall, by 18 February 2025, adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to supplement this Regulation by establishing the methodology for calculation and verification of rates for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials, in accordance with Part A of Annex XII, and the format for the documentation.

5. By 18 August 2026 and at least every five years thereafter, the Commission shall assess whether, due to market developments, in particular concerning battery technologies impacting the type of materials recovered and the existing and forecasted availability of cobalt, copper, lead, lithium or nickel or the lack thereof, and in view of technical and scientific progress, it is appropriate to revise the targets for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials set out in Parts B and C of Annex XII. Where justified and appropriate on the basis of that assessment, the Commission is empowered to adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89 to amend the targets for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials set out in Parts B and C of Annex XII.

6. Where appropriate due to market developments impacting the type of materials that can be recovered and in light of technical and scientific progress, including emerging new technologies in waste management, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89, to amend Part C of Annex XII, by adding further materials with specific targets for recovery of material per specific material, and Part B of Annex XII, by adding further battery chemistries with specific targets for recycling efficiency.

Article72¶Shipment of waste batteries

1. Treatment may be undertaken outside the Member State concerned or outside the Union, provided that the shipment of waste batteries or fractions thereof, is in compliance with Regulations (EC) No 1013/2006 and (EC) No 1418/2007.

2. In order to distinguish between used batteries and waste batteries, the competent authorities of Member States may inspect shipments of used batteries suspected to be waste batteries for compliance with the minimum requirements set out in Annex XIV and monitor such shipments accordingly.

Where the competent authorities in a Member State establish that an intended shipment of used batteries consists of waste batteries, the costs of appropriate analyses, inspections and storage of the used batteries suspected to be waste may be charged to the producers of the relevant category of batteries, to third parties acting on their behalf or to other persons arranging the shipment. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89, supplementing the minimum requirements set out in Annex XIV, in particular on the state of health, to distinguish between the shipment of used batteries and waste batteries.

3. Waste batteries or fractions thereof exported from the Union in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article shall only count towards the fulfilment of obligations, efficiencies and targets laid down in Articles 70 and 71 if the exporter of the waste batteries or fractions thereof provides documentary evidence approved by the competent authority of destination that the treatment took place in conditions that are equivalent to those required by this Regulation and in accordance with other Union law regarding human health and environmental protection.

4. The Commission is empowered to adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 89, to lay down detailed rules supplementing those in paragraph 3 of this Article, by laying down the criteria for the assessment of equivalent conditions.

Article73¶Preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing of waste LMT batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries

1. In order to document that a waste LMT battery, waste industrial battery and waste electric vehicle battery subject to preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing, is no longer waste, the battery holder shall demonstrate the following upon request by a competent authority:

a) evidence of a state of health evaluation or state of health testing carried out in a Member State in the form of a copy of the record confirming the capability of the battery to deliver the performance relevant for its use following preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing;

b) further use of the battery that has been subject to preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing, is documented by means of an invoice or a contract for the sale or transfer of ownership of the battery;

c) evidence of appropriate protection against damage during transportation, loading and unloading, including through sufficient packaging and appropriate stacking of the load.

2. The information referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), shall be made available to end-users and third parties acting on their behalf, on equal terms and conditions, as part of the documentation accompanying the battery referred to in paragraph 1 when placed on the market or put into service.

3. The provision of information in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be without prejudice to obligations to preserve the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information under the relevant Union and national law.

4. The Commission is empowered to adopt an implementing act establishing detailed technical and verification requirements that waste LMT batteries, waste industrial batteries or waste electric vehicle batteries are to fulfil to cease being waste. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

Article74¶Information on prevention and management of waste batteries

1. In addition to the information referred to in Article 8a(2) of Directive 2008/98/EC, producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations shall make available to end-users and distributors the following information regarding the prevention and management of waste batteries with regard to the categories of batteries that they supply within the territory of a Member State:

a) the role of end-users in contributing to waste prevention, including by information on good practices and recommendations concerning the use of batteries aimed at extending their use phase and the possibilities of re-use, preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing and remanufacturing;

b) the role of end-users in contributing to the separate collection of waste batteries in accordance with their obligations under Article 64 to allow their treatment;

c) the separate collection, take-back and collection points, preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing and treatment available for waste batteries;

d) the necessary safety instructions to handle waste batteries, including in relation to the risks associated with, and the handling of, batteries containing lithium;

e) the meaning of the labels and symbols on batteries in accordance with Article 13 or printed on their packaging or in the documents accompanying batteries; and

f) the impact of substances, in particular hazardous substances, present in batteries on the environment and on human health or the safety of persons, including the impact due to inappropriate discarding of waste batteries, such as littering or discarding as unsorted municipal waste.

That information shall be made available:

a) at regular time intervals for each battery model from the moment the battery model concerned is being made available on the market for the first time in a Member State, as a minimum at the point of sale in a visible manner and through online platforms;

b) in a language or languages which can be easily understood by end-users, as determined by the Member State in which the battery is to be made available on the market.

2. Producers shall make available to distributors and operators referred to in Articles 62, 65 and 66 and other waste management operators carrying out preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, or treatment, information regarding the safety and protective measures, including on occupational safety, applicable to the storage and collection of waste batteries.

3. From the moment that a battery is supplied within the territory of a Member State producers shall make available electronically, free of charge and upon request, to waste management operators carrying out preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing or treatment, as far as it is needed by those operators to carry out those activities, the following battery model specific information regarding the proper and environmentally sound treatment of waste batteries:

a) the processes for the dismantling of light means of transport, vehicles and appliances in a way that allows the removal of incorporated batteries;

b) the safety and protective measures, including as regards occupational safety and fire protection, applicable to the storage, transport, and the treatment processes for waste batteries.

The information referred to in points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph shall identify the components and materials and the location of all hazardous substances in a battery, as far as it is needed by operators carrying out preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing or treatment, in order to enable them to comply with the requirements of this Regulation.

That information shall be made available in a language or languages, which can be easily understood by the operators mentioned in the first subparagraph, as determined by the Member State on whose market the battery is to be made available.

4. Distributors that supply batteries to end-users shall permanently provide in their retail premises in an easily accessible and clearly visible manner for the end-users of the batteries, the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, and information on how the end-users may return waste batteries free of charge to the respective collection points established at retail outlets or on behalf of an online platform. That obligation shall be limited to the categories of batteries which the distributor or retailer has, or had, as new batteries in its offer.

Distributors shall provide the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 also when they sell their products through online platforms that allow consumers to conclude distance contracts with traders.

5. The costs covered by the producer under Article 56(4), points (a) to (d), shall be shown separately to the end-user at the point of sale of a new battery.

6. Producers of the relevant category of batteries or producer responsibility organisations shall conduct awareness campaigns and offer incentives to encourage end-users to discard waste batteries in a manner that is in line with the information made available to end-users regarding the prevention and management of waste batteries in accordance with paragraph 1.

7. Where information is provided publicly to end-users under this Article, the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information in conformity with the relevant Union and national law shall be preserved.

Article75¶Minimum requirements for reporting to the competent authorities

1. Producers of portable batteries and producers of LMT batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations shall report to the competent authority, for each calendar year, at least the following information according to the chemistry and category of batteries and waste batteries:

a) the amount of portable batteries and LMT batteries made available on the market for the first time in the territory of a Member State, excluding batteries that have left the territory of that Member State in that year, before being sold to end-users;

b) the amount of portable batteries of general use made available on the market for the first time in the territory of a Member State, excluding portable batteries of general use that have left the territory of that Member State in that year, before being sold to end-users;

c) the amount of waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries collected in accordance with Articles 59 and 60, respectively;

d) the collection rate reached by the producer or producer responsibility organisation for waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries;

e) the amount of collected waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries delivered to permitted facilities for treatment;

f) the amount of collected waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries exported to third countries for treatment, preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing;

g) the amount of collected waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries delivered to permitted facilities for preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing.

Where waste management operators other than producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, collect waste portable batteries or waste LMT batteries from distributors or other collection points for waste portable batteries or waste LMT batteries, they shall report to the competent authority for each calendar year the amount of waste portable batteries and waste LMT batteries collected according to their chemistry.

2. Producers of SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries or where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1) producer responsibility organisations, shall report to the competent authority for each calendar year the following information, according to chemistries and categories of waste batteries:

a) the amount of SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries made available on the market for the first time in a Member State, excluding batteries that have left the territory of that Member State in that year, before being sold to end-users;

b) the amount of collected waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries delivered to permitted facilities for preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing;

c) the amount of collected waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries delivered to permitted facilities for treatment;

d) the amount of collected waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries exported to third countries for preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing or for treatment.

3. Where waste management operators collect waste batteries from distributors or other collection points for waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries or from end-users, they shall report to the competent authority for each calendar year the following information according to chemistries and categories of waste batteries:

a) the amount of waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries collected;

b) the amount of collected waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries delivered to permitted facilities for preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing;

c) the amount of collected waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries delivered to permitted facilities for treatment;

d) the amount of collected waste SLI batteries, waste industrial batteries and waste electric vehicle batteries exported to third countries for preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing or for treatment.

4. The information referred to in paragraph 1, points (a) to (g), of this Article shall include information on batteries incorporated into vehicles and appliances, and waste batteries removed from vehicles and appliances in accordance with Article 65.

5. Waste management operators carrying out treatment and recyclers shall report to the competent authorities of the Member State where treatment of waste batteries takes place, for each calendar year and by Member State where the waste batteries were collected, the following information:

a) the amount of waste batteries received for treatment;

b) the amount of waste batteries that began to undergo preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing or recycling processes;

c) data on recycling efficiency for waste batteries, recovery of materials from waste batteries and the destination and yield of the final output fractions.

Reporting on the recycling efficiency and recovery of materials shall cover all individual steps of recycling and all corresponding output fractions. Where recycling operations are carried out at more than one facility, the first recycler shall be responsible for collecting the information and reporting that information to the competent authorities.

The competent authority of the Member State where the treatment of waste batteries takes place, shall provide the information referred to in this paragraph to the competent authority of the Member State where the batteries were collected, if different.

Waste batteries sent to another Member State for treatment in that other Member State shall be included in the recycling efficiency and recovery of materials data and shall count towards the attainment of the targets set out in Annex XII by the Member State in which that waste was collected.

6. Where waste holders other than those referred to in paragraph 5 export batteries for treatment they shall report the data on the amount of separately collected waste batteries exported for treatment and the data referred to in paragraph 5, points (b) and (c) to the competent authorities of the Member States where they are located.

7. Producers or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, waste management operators and waste holders referred to in this Article shall report within six months of the end of the reporting year for which the data are collected. The first reporting period shall concern the first full calendar year after the entry into force of the implementing act that establishes the format for reporting to the Commission, in accordance with Article 76(5).

8. The competent authorities shall establish electronic systems through which data shall be reported to them and specify the formats to be used.

9. Member State may allow competent authorities to request any additional information necessary to ensure that the data reported are reliable.

Article76¶Reporting to the Commission

1. Member States shall make publicly available in an aggregated form for each calendar year and in the format established by the Commission in the implementing act adopted pursuant to paragraph 5, the following data on portable batteries, LMT batteries, SLI batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries, according to battery categories and their chemistries:

a) the amount of batteries made available on the market for the first time in a Member State, including those incorporated in appliances, vehicles or industrial products, but excluding batteries that have left the territory of that Member State in that year, before being sold to end-users;

b) the amount of waste batteries collected in accordance with Articles 59, 60 and 61, and collection rates calculated on the basis of the methodology set out in Annex XI;

c) the amount of waste industrial batteries and the amount of waste electric vehicle batteries collected and delivered to permitted facilities for preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing;

d) the values for the recycling efficiencies achieved as referred to in Part B of Annex XII and the values for the recovery of materials achieved as referred to in Part C of Annex XII, regarding the batteries collected in that Member State.

Member States shall make those data available within 18 months of the end of the reporting year for which the data are collected. They shall make those data public electronically in the format established by the Commission in accordance with paragraph 5, using easily accessible data services. The data shall be machine readable, sortable and searchable, and shall respect open standards for third party use. Member States shall notify the Commission when the data referred to in the first subparagraph are made available.

The first reporting period shall concern the first full calendar year after the entry into force of the implementing act that establishes the format for reporting to the Commission, in accordance with paragraph 5.

In addition to the obligations under Directives 2000/53/EC and 2012/19/EU, data referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph, points (a) to (d), of this Article shall include batteries incorporated into vehicles and appliances, and waste batteries removed from those vehicles and appliances in accordance with Article 65.

2. Reporting on the recycling efficiency and recovery of materials referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph, point (d), shall cover all individual steps of recycling and all corresponding output fractions.

3. The data made available by Member States in accordance with this Article shall be accompanied by a quality check report to be presented in the format established by the Commission in accordance with paragraph 5.

4. The Commission shall collect and review the information made available in accordance with this Article. The Commission shall publish a report assessing the organisation of the data collection, the sources of data and the methodology used in Member States as well as the completeness, reliability, timeliness and consistency of those data. That assessment may include specific recommendations for improvement. The report shall be drawn up within 6 months of the first reporting of the data by Member States and every four years thereafter.

5. The Commission shall, by 18 August 2025, adopt implementing acts laying down the format for the data and information to be reported to the Commission, as well as assessment methods and operational conditions related to collection and treatment of waste batteries, for the purpose of paragraphs 1 and 4 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

Chapter IX Digital battery passport

Article77¶Battery passport

Ändrad genom förordning (EU) 2024/1781 och rättelse till förordning (EU) 2024/1781.

1. From 18 February 2027 each LMT battery, each industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kWh and each electric vehicle battery placed on the market or put into service shall have an electronic record (‘battery passport’).

2. The battery passport shall contain information relating to the battery model and information specific to the individual battery, including resulting from the use of that battery, as set out in Annex XIII.

The information in the battery passport shall comprise:

a) information accessible to the general public in accordance with point 1 of Annex XIII;

b) information accessible only to notified bodies, market surveillance authorities and the Commission in accordance with points 2 and 3 of Annex XIII; and

c) information accessible only to any natural or legal person with a legitimate interest in accessing and processing that information for the purposes referred to in points (a) and (b) of the third subparagraph in accordance with points 2 and 4 of Annex XIII.

The purposes for accessing and processing the information as referred to in point (c) of the second subparagraph, shall:

a) concern dismantling of the battery, including safety measures to be taken during the dismantling, and the detailed composition of the battery model and be essential to allow repairers, remanufacturers, second-life operators and recyclers to conduct their respective economic activities in accordance with this Regulation; or

b) in the case of individual batteries, be essential to the purchaser of the battery or parties acting on the purchaser’s behalf, for the purpose of making the individual battery available to independent energy aggregators or energy market participants.

The information referred to in the second subparagraph shall be included in the battery passport to the extent applicable to the category or sub-category of battery concerned.

The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend Annex XIII as regards the information to be included in the battery passport in view of technical and scientific progress.

3. The battery passport shall be accessible through the QR code referred to in Article 13(6) which links to a unique identifier that the economic operator placing the battery on the market shall attribute to it.

The QR code and the unique identifier shall comply with the ISO/IEC standards 15459-1:2014, 15459-2:2015, 15459-3:2014, 15459-4:2014, 15459-5:2014 and 15459-6:2014 or their equivalent.

The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend the second subparagraph of this paragraph in light of technical and scientific progress by replacing the standards referred to in that subparagraph or adding other European or international standards with which the QR code and the unique identifier shall comply.

4. The economic operator placing the battery on the market shall ensure that the information in the battery passport is accurate, complete and up to date. It may give written authorisation to any other operator to act on its behalf.

5. All information included in the battery passport shall be based on open standards and be in an interoperable format, transferable through an open interoperable data exchange network without vendor lock-in, machine-readable, structured and searchable, in accordance with the essential requirements laid down in Article 78.

6. The access to information included in the battery passport shall be regulated in accordance with the essential requirements laid down in Article 78.

7. For a battery that has been subject to preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing, the responsibility for the fulfilment of the obligations under paragraph 4 of this Article shall be transferred to the economic operator that has placed that battery on the market or has put it into service. Such battery shall have a new battery passport linked to the battery passport or passports of the original battery or batteries.

Where the status of a battery changes to that of a waste battery, the responsibility for the fulfilment of the obligations under paragraph 4 of this Article shall be transferred either to the producer or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), the producer responsibility organisation, or the waste management operator selected in accordance with Article 57(8).

8. A battery passport shall cease to exist after the battery has been recycled.

9. By 18 August 2026, the Commission shall adopt implementing acts specifying which persons are to be considered persons with a legitimate interest as referred to in points 2 and 4 respectively of Annex XIII for the purposes of paragraph 2, point (c), of this Article and to which information listed in those points they shall have access, and to what extent they can download, share, publish and re-use that information. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

The criteria for specifying the persons referred to in paragraph 2, point (c), and for determining the extent to which they can download, share, publish and re-use the information referred to in points 2 and 4 of Annex XIII shall be the following:

a) the necessity of having such information in order to evaluate the status and residual value of the battery and its capability for further use;

b) the necessity of having such information for the purpose of preparation for re-use, preparation for repurposing, repurposing, remanufacturing or recycling of the battery, or for choosing between those operations;

c) the need to ensure that the accessing and processing of information in the battery passport that is commercially sensitive is limited to the minimum necessary in accordance with applicable Union law.

10. The economic operator placing the battery on the market or putting it into service shall upload the unique identifier in the registry referred to in Article 13(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Article78¶Technical design and operation of the battery passport

The technical design and operation of the battery passport shall comply with the following essential requirements:

a) the battery passport shall be fully interoperable with other digital product passports required by Union law concerning eco-design, in relation to the technical, semantic and organisational aspects of end-to-end communication and data transfer;

b) consumers, economic operators and other relevant actors shall have access to the battery passport free of charge and based on their respective access rights set out in Annex XIII and the implementing act adopted pursuant to Article 77(9);

c) the data included in the battery passport shall be stored by the economic operator responsible for the fulfilment of the obligations under Article 77(4) or (7), or by operators authorised to act on their behalf;

d) if the data included in the battery passport are stored or otherwise processed by operators authorised to act on behalf of the economic operator responsible for the fulfilment of the obligations under Article 77(4) or (7), those operators shall not be allowed to sell, re-use or process such data, in whole or in part, beyond what is necessary for the provision of the relevant storing or processing services;

e) the battery passport shall remain available after the economic operator responsible for the fulfilment of the obligations under Article 77(4) or (7) ceases to exist or ceases its activity in the Union;

f) the rights to access, introduce, modify or update information in the battery passport shall be restricted based on the access rights specified in Annex XIII and the implementing act adopted pursuant to Article 77(9);

g) data authentication, reliability and integrity shall be ensured;

h) the battery passport shall be such that a high level of security and privacy is ensured and fraud is avoided.

Chapter X Union market surveillance and Union safeguard procedures

Article79¶Procedure at national level for dealing with batteries presenting a risk

1. Without prejudice to Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, where the market surveillance authorities of one Member State have sufficient reason to believe that a battery covered by this Regulation presents a risk to human health or safety of persons, to property or to the environment, they shall carry out an evaluation in relation to the battery concerned covering all relevant requirements laid down in this Regulation.

Where, in the course of the evaluation referred to in the first subparagraph, the market surveillance authorities find that the battery does not comply with the requirements laid down in this Regulation (‘non-compliant battery’), they shall without delay require the relevant economic operator to take all appropriate corrective action, within a reasonable period prescribed by the market surveillance authorities and commensurate with the nature of the risk, to bring the battery into compliance with those requirements, to withdraw it from the market, or to recall it.

The market surveillance authorities shall inform the relevant notified body accordingly.

2. The market surveillance authorities shall inform the Commission and the other Member States of the results of the evaluation and of the actions which they have required the economic operator to take.

3. The economic operator shall ensure that all appropriate corrective action is taken in respect of all the non-compliant batteries that the economic operator has made available on the market throughout the Union.

4. Where the relevant economic operator does not take adequate corrective action within the period referred to in paragraph 1, second subparagraph, the market surveillance authorities shall take all appropriate provisional measures to prohibit or restrict the non-compliant batteries being made available on their national market, to withdraw those batteries from that market or to recall them.

The market surveillance authorities shall inform the Commission and the other Member States, without delay, of those measures.

5. The information referred to in paragraph 4, second subparagraph, shall include all available details, in particular the data necessary for the identification of the non-compliant battery, the origin of that battery, the nature of the non-compliance alleged and the risk involved, the nature and duration of the national measures taken and the arguments put forward by the relevant economic operator. In particular, the market surveillance authorities shall indicate whether the non-compliance is due to any of the following:

a) failure of the battery to be in conformity with Articles 6 to 10 or Article 12, 13 or 14;

b) shortcomings in the harmonised standards referred to in Article 15;

c) shortcomings in the common specifications referred to in Article 16.

6. Member States other than the Member State initiating the procedure under this Article shall without delay inform the Commission and the other Member States of any measures adopted and of any additional information at their disposal relating to the non-compliance of the battery concerned, and, in the event of disagreement with the adopted national measure, of their objections.

7. Where, within three months of receipt of the information referred to in paragraph 4, second subparagraph, no objection has been raised by either a Member State or the Commission in respect of a provisional measure taken by market surveillance authorities, that measure shall be deemed justified.

8. Member States shall ensure that appropriate restrictive measures, such as withdrawal of the non-compliant battery from the market, are taken in respect of the non-compliant battery without delay.

Article80¶Union safeguard procedure

1. Where, on completion of the procedure set out in Article 79(4), (6) and (7), objections are raised against a measure taken by market surveillance authorities, or where the Commission considers a national measure to be contrary to Union law, the Commission shall without delay enter into consultation with the Member States and the relevant economic operator or operators and shall evaluate the national measure. The Commission shall endeavour to conclude that evaluation within one month.

On the basis of the results of that evaluation, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act determining whether the national measure is justified or not. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

2. The Commission shall address the implementing act referred to in paragraph 1, second subparagraph, to all Member States and shall immediately communicate it to them and the relevant economic operator or operators.

If the national measure is considered justified, all Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the non-compliant battery is withdrawn from their market, and shall inform the Commission accordingly.

If the national measure is considered unjustified, the Member State concerned shall withdraw that measure.

3. Where the national measure is considered justified and the non-compliance of the battery is attributed to shortcomings in the harmonised standards referred to in Article 15 of this Regulation, the Commission shall apply the procedure provided for in Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012.

4. Where the national measure is considered justified and the non-compliance of the battery is attributed to shortcomings in the common specifications referred to in Article 16, the Commission shall, without delay, adopt an implementing act amending or repealing the common specifications concerned. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

Article81¶Compliant batteries which present a risk

1. Where, having carried out an evaluation under Article 79(1), a Member State finds that although a battery is in compliance with Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14, it presents a risk to the human health or safety of persons, to the protection of property or to the environment (‘compliant battery which presents a risk’), it shall without delay require the relevant economic operator to take all appropriate measures, within a reasonable period prescribed by the market surveillance authorities and commensurate with the nature of the risk, to ensure that the compliant battery which presents a risk, when made available on the market, no longer presents that risk, to withdraw that battery from the market or to recall it.

2. The economic operator shall ensure that corrective action is taken in respect of all the compliant batteries which present a risk that the economic operator has made available on the market throughout the Union.

3. The Member State shall immediately inform the Commission and the other Member States where the situation referred to in paragraph 1 occurs. That information shall include all available details, in particular the data necessary for the identification of compliant batteries which present a risk, the origin and the supply chain of such batteries, the nature of the risk involved and the nature and duration of the national measures taken.

4. The Commission shall without delay enter into consultation with the Member States and the relevant economic operator or operators and shall evaluate the national measures taken. On the basis of the results of that evaluation, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act determining whether the national measure is justified or not and, where necessary, proposing appropriate measures. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 90(3).

5. On duly justified imperative grounds of urgency relating to the protection of human health and the safety of persons, and to the protection of property or the environment, the Commission shall adopt an immediately applicable implementing act in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 90(4).

6. The Commission shall address the implementing act referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 to all Member States and shall immediately communicate it to them and the relevant economic operator or operators.

Article82¶Joint activities

Market surveillance authorities may carry out joint activities with organisations representing economic operators or end-users. Such joint activities may include the setting up by Member States or market surveillance authorities of battery competence centres, with a view to promoting compliance, identifying non-compliance, raising awareness and providing guidance in relation to the requirements laid down in this Regulation, in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020.

Article83¶Formal non-compliance

1. Without prejudice to Article 79, where a Member State makes one of the following findings, it shall require the relevant economic operator to put an end to the non-compliance concerned:

a) the CE marking has been affixed in violation of Article 30 of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 or of Article 20 of this Regulation;

b) the CE marking has not been affixed;

c) the identification number of the notified body, where required under Annex VIII, has been affixed in violation of Article 20 or has not been affixed;

d) the EU declaration of conformity has not been drawn up or has not been drawn up correctly;

e) the technical documentation referred to in Annex VIII is either not available, or not complete;

f) the information referred to in Article 38(7) or Article 41(3) is absent, false or incomplete;

g) any other administrative requirement provided for in Article 38 or 41 has not been met;

2. Where the non-compliance referred to in paragraph 1 persists, the Member State concerned shall take all appropriate measures to restrict or prohibit the battery being made available on the market or ensure that it is withdrawn from the market or recalled.

Article84¶Non-compliance with due diligence obligations

1. Where a Member State finds that an economic operator does not fulfil its due diligence obligations laid down in Articles 48, 49 and 50, it shall require the relevant economic operator to put an end to the non-compliance concerned.

2. Where the non-compliance referred to in paragraph 1 persists and where there is no other effective means available to put an end to the non-compliance, the Member State concerned shall take all appropriate measures to restrict or prohibit the batteries made available on the market by the economic operator referred to in paragraph 1 from being made available on the market and, if the non-compliance is serious, ensure that they are withdrawn from the market or recalled.

Chapter XI Green public procurement and procedure for amending restrictions on substances

Article85¶Green public procurement

1. Contracting authorities, as defined in Article 2(1), point (1), of Directive 2014/24/EU or Article 3(1) of Directive 2014/25/EU, or contracting entities, as defined in Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/25/EU shall, when procuring batteries or products containing batteries in situations covered by those Directives, take account of the environmental impacts of those batteries over their life cycle with a view to ensuring that such impacts are kept to a minimum.

2. From 12 months after the date of entry into force of the first delegated act referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article, establishing award criteria for procurement procedures, the obligation laid down in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be fulfilled through the application of those award criteria. Any procurement procedure carried out by contracting authorities or contracting entities for the purchase of batteries, or products containing batteries, that fall within the scope of Articles 7 to 10 shall make reference in its technical specifications and award criteria to that first delegated act to ensure that those batteries, or products containing batteries, are procured with significantly lower environmental impacts over their life cycle.

3. The Commission shall, 12 months after the adoption of the latest of the delegated acts referred to in Article 7(2), fourth subparagraph, point (a), Article 8(1), Article 9(2) and Article 10(5), adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 supplementing this Regulation by establishing award criteria for procurement procedures for batteries, or products containing batteries, based on the sustainability requirements laid down in Articles 7 to 10.

Article86¶Restriction procedure for substances

1. If the Commission considers that the use of a substance in the manufacture of batteries, or the presence of a substance in the batteries when they are placed on the market, or during their subsequent life cycle stages, including during repurposing or treatment of waste batteries, poses a risk to human health or the environment that is not adequately controlled and needs to be addressed on a Union-wide basis, it shall request the Agency to prepare a restriction dossier which conforms to the requirements of Annex XV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. The restriction dossier shall include a socioeconomic assessment, including an analysis of alternatives.

2. Within 12 months of the receipt of the request from the Commission referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article and if the restriction dossier prepared by the Agency pursuant to that paragraph demonstrates that action is necessary on a Union-wide basis, in addition to any measures already in place, the Agency shall suggest restrictions in order to initiate the process described in paragraphs 4 to 9 of this Article and Articles 87 and 88.

3. If a Member State considers that the use of a substance in the manufacture of batteries, or the presence of a substance in the batteries when they are placed on the market, or during their subsequent life cycle stages, including during repurposing or treatment of waste batteries, poses a risk to human health or the environment that is not adequately controlled and needs to be addressed on a Union-wide basis, it shall notify the Agency that it proposes to prepare a restriction dossier. The Member State shall prepare a restriction dossier. The restriction dossier shall include a socioeconomic assessment, including an analysis of alternatives.

If the restriction dossier demonstrates that action on a Union-wide basis is necessary, in addition to any measures already in place, the Member State shall submit it to the Agency in the format set out in Annex XV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, in order to initiate the process described in paragraphs 4 to 9 of this Article, and Articles 87 and 88.

4. For the purposes of the restriction dossier and the restriction process, the Agency or Member States shall take into account any dossier, chemical safety report or risk assessment submitted to the Agency or a Member State under the Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. The Agency or Member States shall also take into account any available information and refer to any relevant risk assessment submitted for the purposes of other Union law covering the life cycle of the substance used in the battery, including the waste phase. To this end, other bodies established under Union law and carrying out a similar task shall provide information to the Agency or Member State concerned on request.

5. Access to information held by the Agency in performing the tasks defined in Article 6 of this Regulation and in this Article shall be subject to Article 118 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.

6. The Agency shall maintain a list of substances for which a restriction dossier under this Article is planned by or in progress in either the Agency or a Member State.

7. The Committee for Risk Assessment, set up pursuant to Article 76(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, and the Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis, set up pursuant to Article 76(1)(d) of that Regulation, shall check whether the restriction dossier submitted conforms to the requirements of Annex XV to that Regulation. Within 30 days of receipt of the dossier, the respective Committee shall inform the Agency or the Member State suggesting restrictions, as to whether the dossier conforms. If the dossier does not conform, the reasons shall be given to the Agency or the Member State in writing within 45 days of receipt. The Agency or the Member State shall bring the dossier into conformity within 60 days of the date of receipt of the reasons from the respective Committee, otherwise the procedure under this Article shall be terminated.

8. The Agency shall publish without delay the intention of the Commission or a Member State to initiate the restriction process for a substance, under this Article, and shall inform stakeholders concerned.

9. The Agency shall make publicly available on its website the restriction dossier, including the restrictions suggested pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 3 without delay, clearly indicating its date of publication. The Agency shall invite all stakeholders concerned to submit individually or jointly, within four months of the date of publication:

a) comments on the restriction dossier and the suggested restrictions;

b) a socioeconomic analysis of the suggested restrictions, including an analysis of alternatives, or information which can contribute to such an analysis, examining the advantages and drawbacks of the suggested restrictions. Such analysis shall conform to the requirements of Annex XVI to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.

10. The delegated acts referred to in Article 6(2) shall be adopted within nine months following the receipt of the opinion of the Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis of the Agency referred to in Article 87(2). If the Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis does not adopt an opinion by the deadline set in Article 87(2) or (5), as applicable, the Commission shall take into account the socioeconomic impact of the restriction, including the availability of alternatives for the substance and shall adopt a delegated act by the deadline set in Article 87(2).

11. Where the draft amendment to Annex I diverges from the original proposal of the restriction dossier, prepared pursuant to the procedure laid down in this Article and Articles 87 and 88, or if it does not take the opinions from the Agency into account, the Commission shall attach a detailed explanation of the reasons for the differences.

Article87¶Opinion of the Agency’s Committees

1. Within 12 months of the date of publication referred to in Article 86(9), the Committee for Risk Assessment shall adopt an opinion as to whether the suggested restrictions are appropriate in reducing the risk to human health or the environment, based on its consideration of the relevant parts of the restriction dossier. This opinion shall take account of the restriction dossier prepared by the Agency at the request of the Commission or by the Member State, and the views of interested parties referred to in Article 86(9), point (a).

2. Within 15 months of the date of publication referred to in Article 86(9), the Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis shall adopt an opinion on the suggested restrictions, based on its consideration of the relevant parts of the restriction dossier and the socioeconomic impact. Prior to that, it shall prepare a draft opinion on the suggested restrictions and on the related socioeconomic impact, taking account of the analyses or information according to Article 86(9), point (b), if there are any.

3. The Agency shall publish the draft opinion of the Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis on its website without delay and invite interested parties to provide their comments on the draft opinion no later than 60 days from the publication of that draft opinion.

4. The Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis shall without delay adopt its opinion, taking into account where appropriate further comments received by the deadline set in paragraph 3 of this Article. That opinion shall take account of the comments of interested parties submitted under Article 86(9), point (b), and paragraph 3 of this Article.

5. Where the opinion of the Committee for Risk Assessment diverges significantly from the restrictions suggested in the restriction dossier, the Agency shall postpone the deadline for the opinion of the Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis by a maximum of 90 days.

6. Where the Committees for Risk Assessment and Socioeconomic Analysis provide an opinion pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, they shall make use of rapporteurs under Article 87 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and in line with the conditions provided therein.

Article88¶Submission of an opinion to the Commission

1. The Agency shall submit to the Commission without delay the opinions of the Committees for Risk Assessment and Socioeconomic Analysis on restrictions suggested pursuant to Article 86. Where the opinions of the Committees for Risk Assessment and Socioeconomic Analysis diverge significantly from the suggested restrictions, the Agency shall submit an explanatory note to the Commission providing a detailed explanation of the reasons for such differences. If one or both of the Committees do not adopt an opinion by the deadline set in Article 87(1) and (2), respectively, the Agency shall inform the Commission accordingly, stating the reasons.

2. The Agency shall publish the opinions of the two Committees on its website without delay.

3. The Agency shall provide the Commission or a Member State on request with all documents and evidence submitted to or considered by it.

Chapter XII Delegated powers and committee procedure

Article89¶Exercise of the delegation

1. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article.

2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 6(2), Article 7(1), (2) and (3), Article 8(1) and (5), Article 9(2), Article 10(5) and (6), Article 11(4), Article 12(3), Article 13(8), Article 14(4), Article 48(8), Article 53(3), Article 59(7), Article 60(8), Article 70(4), Article 71(4), (5) and (6), Article 72(4), Article 77(2) and (3), and Article 85(3) shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from 17 August 2023. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power no later than nine months before the end of the five-year period. The delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension no later than three months before the end of each period.

3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 6(2), Article 7(1), (2) and (3), Article 8(1) and(5), Article 9(2), Article 10(5) and (6), Article 11(4), Article 12(3), Article 13(8), Article 14(4), Article 48(8), Article 53(3), Article 59(7), Article 60(8), Article 70(4), Article 71(4), (5) and (6), Article 72(4), Article 77(2) and (3), and Article 85(3) may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.

4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making.

5. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council.

6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 6(2), Article 7(1), (2) and (3), Article 8(1) and (5), Article 9(2), Article 10(5) and(6), Article 11(4), Article 12(3), Article 13(8), Article 14(4), Article 48(8), Article 53(3), Article 59(7), Article 60(8), Article 70(4), Article 71(4), (5) and (6), Article 72(4), Article 77(2) and (3), or 85(3) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of three months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.

Article90¶Committee procedure

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the committee established by Article 39 of Directive 2008/98/EC. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

Where the committee delivers no opinion, the Commission shall not adopt the draft implementing act and Article 5(4), third subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

4. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 8 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011, in conjunction with Article 5 thereof, shall apply.

Chapter XIII Amendments

Article91¶Amendments to Regulation (EU) 2019/1020

Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 is amended as follows:

1. in Article 4(5), the text ‘(EU) 2016/42535 and (EU) 2016/42636’ is replaced by the following:

‘(EU) 2016/425, (EU) 2016/426 and (EU) 2023/1542

2. in Annex I, point 21 of the list of Union harmonisation legislation is replaced by the following:

‘21) Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries, amending Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Directive 2006/66/EC (OJ L 191, 28.7.2023, p. 1) ;’.

Article92¶Amendment to Directive 2008/98/EC

Ändrad genom rättelse till förordning (EU) 2023/1542.

In Article 8a(7) of Directive 2008/98/EC, the following subparagraph is added:‘For batteries, as defined in Article 3(1), point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Member States shall take measures to ensure that extended producer responsibility schemes that have been established before 4 July 2018, comply with this Article by 18 August 2025.

Chapter XIV Final provisions

Article93¶Penalties

By 18 August 2025 Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this Regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. The penalties provided for shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. Member States shall, without delay, notify the Commission of those rules and of those measures and shall notify it, without delay, of any subsequent amendment affecting them.

Article94¶Review

1. By 30 June 2031, the Commission shall review and draw up a report on the application of this Regulation and its impact on the environment, human health and the functioning of the internal market and submit it to the European Parliament and to the Council.

2. Taking account of technical progress and practical experience gained in Member States, the Commission shall, in its report, include an evaluation on the following aspects of this Regulation:

a) the list of common formats falling under the definition of portable batteries of general use;

b) the sustainability and safety requirements laid down in Chapter II, including the possible need to introduce an export ban on batteries which are non-compliant with the restrictions set out in Annex I;

c) the labelling and information requirements laid down in Chapter III;

d) the battery due diligence requirements laid down in Articles 48 to 53;

e) the measures regarding management of waste batteries laid down in Chapter VIII, including the possibility of introducing two sub-categories of portable batteries namely rechargeable and non-rechargeable portable batteries, with separate collection targets, and of introducing a separate collection target for portable batteries of general use;

f) the measures regarding the battery passport set out in Chapter IX;

g) infringements and the effectiveness, proportionality and dissuasiveness of penalties as set out in Article 93;

h) analysis of the impact of this Regulation on the competitiveness of, and on the investments in, the batteries sector, and of the administrative burden resulting from this Regulation.

Where appropriate, the report referred to in paragraph 1 shall be accompanied by a legislative proposal for amendment of the relevant provisions of this Regulation.

3. Taking into account the revision of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, the Commission shall in its report include a specific evaluation of the need for a legislative proposal to amend Articles 6, 86, 87 and 88 of this Regulation.

4. The Commission shall assess whether any amendment to Chapter VII is necessary in the light of the adoption, if any, of Union legislative acts laying down rules on sustainable corporate governance and due diligence, including obligations for companies regarding human rights adverse impacts and environmental adverse impacts in relation to their own operations, the operations of their subsidiaries and branches, and their value chain operations.

The Commission shall publish a report containing the results of such assessment by 12 months after the date of entry into force of any of the legislative acts referred to in the first subparagraph, or by 30 June 2031, whichever is the earliest. Where appropriate, the Commission shall accompany its report with a legislative proposal amending Chapter VII.

5. By 30 June 2031, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council assessing the feasibility and the technical consequences of extending the scope of the definition of ‘LMT battery’ in Article 3, point (11), in particular by including batteries powering non-wheeled vehicles. The report shall be accompanied, where appropriate, by a legislative proposal.

6. By 1 January 2025, the Commission shall assess how best to introduce harmonised standards for a common charger for, respectively, rechargeable batteries designed for light means of transport, as well as for rechargeable batteries incorporated into specific categories of electrical and electronic equipment covered by Directive 2012/19/EU. Charging devices for categories and classes of radio equipment under Article 3(4) of Directive 2014/53/EU shall be excluded from the scope of that assessment.

Article95¶Repeal and transitional rules

Directive 2006/66/EC is repealed with effect from 18 August 2025.

However, the following provisions shall continue to apply as set out below:

a) Article 11 until 18 February 2027;

b) Article 12(4) and (5) until 31 December 2025, except as regards the provision concerning transmission of data to the Commission which shall continue to apply until 30 June 2027;

c) Article 21(2) until 18 August 2026.

References to the repealed Directive shall be construed as references to this Regulation.

Article96¶Entry into force and application

1. This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

2. It shall apply from 18 February 2024, save as set out in the second subparagraph and in other provisions of this Regulation.

The following provisions shall apply as follows:

a) Article 11 shall apply from 18 February 2027;

b) Article 17 and Chapter VI shall apply from 18 August 2024, except for Article 17(2) which shall apply from 12 months after the date of the first publication of the list referred to in Article 30(2);

c) Chapter VIII shall apply from 18 August 2025.

ANNEX I

ANNEX II

CARBON FOOTPRINT

1. Scope

This Annex provides essential elements on how to calculate the carbon footprint.

The methodology for calculation and verification of the carbon footprint to be provided for by means of the delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 7 shall build on the essential elements included in this Annex, be in compliance with the latest version of the Commission Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method and relevant Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs) and reflect the international agreements and technical/scientific progress in the area of life cycle assessment.

The calculation of the life cycle carbon footprint shall be based on the bill of materials, the energy and the auxiliary materials used in a specific manufacturing plant to produce a specific battery model. In particular, the electronic components, for example battery management units and safety units, and the cathode materials shall be accurately identified, as they can become the main contributor for the battery carbon footprint.

2. Definitions

For the purposes of this Annex, the following definitions apply:

a) ‘activity data’ means the information associated with processes while modelling Life Cycle Inventories (LCI), whereby the aggregated LCI results of the process chains that represent the activities of a process are each multiplied by the corresponding activity data and then combined to derive the carbon footprint associated with that process;

b) ‘bill of materials’ means a list of the raw materials, sub-assemblies, intermediate assemblies, sub-components and parts, and the quantities of each, needed to manufacture the battery;

c) ‘company-specific data’ means data that are directly measured or collected from one or multiple facilities (site-specific data) that are representative of the activities of the company, such data are also known as ‘primary data’;

d) ‘functional unit’ means the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the functions, services, or both, provided by the battery;

e) ‘life cycle’ means the consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to final disposal (ISO 14040:2006 or an equivalent standard);

f) ‘life cycle inventory (LCI)’ means the combined set of exchanges of elementary, waste and product flows in an LCI dataset;

g) ‘life cycle inventory (LCI) dataset’ means a document or file with life cycle information on a specified product or other reference, such as the site or process, covering descriptive metadata and quantitative life cycle inventory, which could include a unit process dataset, partially aggregated or an aggregated dataset;

h) ‘reference flow’ means the measure of the outputs from processes in a given product system required to fulfil the function expressed by the functional unit (based on ISO 14040:2006 or an equivalent standard);

i) ‘secondary data’ means data that are not directly collected or measured from a specific process within the supply-chain of the company or estimated by that company, but that are sourced from a third party LCI database or other sources; such data include industry average data, for example from published production data, government statistics, and industry associations, as well as literature studies, engineering studies and patents, and can also be based on financial data, and contain proxy data and other generic data; and also include primary data that go through a horizontal aggregation step;

j) ‘system boundary’ means the aspects included or excluded from the life cycle stages.

Additionally, the harmonised rules for the calculation of the carbon footprint of batteries shall include any further definition necessary for their interpretation.

3. Functional unit and reference flow

The functional unit is defined as one kWh (kilowatt-hour) of the total energy provided by the battery system over the battery’s service life, measured in kWh. The total energy is obtained from the number of cycles multiplied by the amount of delivered energy over each cycle.

The reference flow is the weight of battery needed to fulfil a specific function and shall be measured in kg of battery per kWh of the total energy delivered by the battery over its service life. All quantitative input and output data collected by the manufacturer to quantify the carbon footprint shall be calculated in relation to the reference flow.

By way of exception to the first paragraph, for back-up batteries that have as their primary function to ensure continuity of a power source, the functional unit is defined as the ability to provide one kWmin (kilowatt-minute) of backup power capability at any moment over the lifetime of the battery. Accordingly, the reference flow for back-up batteries is the weight of battery needed to fulfil the defined function and shall be measured in kg of battery per kWmin of backup power capability divided by the service life of the battery in years. All quantitative input and output data collected by manufacturers of back-up batteries to quantify the carbon footprint shall be calculated in relation to that reference flow.

In exceptional cases, such as for batteries for hybrid non -plug-in vehicles, the methodology may define a different functional unit.

4. System boundary

The following life cycle stages and the processes involved therein shall be included in the system boundary:

The following processes involved in the life cycle stages shall be excluded from the system boundary:

manufacturing of equipment for the assembly and recycling of batteries, as carbon footprint impacts have been calculated as negligible in the PEFCRs for high specific energy rechargeable batteries for mobile applications;

the battery assembly process using the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) system components; this process corresponds for the most part to mechanical assembly and it is included inside the OEM equipment or vehicle assembly line; the consumption of energy and material for this specific process is negligible when compared to the manufacturing process of OEM components.

The use phase shall be excluded from the life cycle carbon footprint calculations, as it is not under the direct influence of manufacturers except where it is demonstrated that choices made by battery manufacturers at the design stage can make a non-negligible contribution to that impact.

5. Use of company-specific and secondary datasets

Due to the high number of battery components and the complexity of manufacturing processes, the economic operator shall limit, where justified, the use of company specific data to process and component analysis of the battery-specific parts.

In particular, all activity data related to the battery’s anode, cathode, electrolyte, separator and cell-casing shall refer to a specific battery model produced in a specific production plant. Accordingly, no default activity data shall be used. The battery-specific activity data shall be used in combination with the relevant PEF-compliant secondary datasets.

As the carbon footprint declaration is specific to a battery model produced in a defined production site, sampling of data collected from different plants producing the same battery model shall not be allowed.

Where there is a change in the bill of materials or energy mix used to produce a battery model, the carbon footprint for that battery model shall be recalculated.

The harmonised rules to be provided for via a delegated act as referred to in Article 7(1) shall include detailed modelling of the following life cycle stages:

raw material acquisition and pre-processing,

production,

distribution,

own electricity production,

end of life.

6. Carbon footprint impact assessment

The carbon footprint of the battery shall be calculated using the ‘climate change’ life cycle impact assessment method recommended in the 2019 Joint Research Centre report entitled ‘Suggestions for updating the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method’.

The results shall be provided as characterised results without normalisation and weighting. The list of characterization factors to be used is available at the European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

7. Offsets

Offsets are calculated relative to a baseline that represents a hypothetical scenario for what emissions would have been in the absence of the mitigation project that generates the offsets.

Offsets shall not be included in the carbon footprint declaration, but may be reported separately as additional environmental information and used for communication purposes.

8. Carbon footprint performance classes

Depending on the distribution of the values in the carbon footprint declarations of batteries placed on the market, a meaningful number of classes of performance shall be identified, with category A being the best class with the lowest carbon footprint life cycle impact, to enable market differentiation of the battery categories referred to in Article 7(1).

The setting of the threshold for each class of performance, as well as the width of that class, shall be based on the distribution of performances of the battery categories referred to in Article 7(1) placed on the market in the previous three years, the expected technological improvements, and other technical factors.

9. Maximum carbon thresholds

Based on the information collected through the carbon footprint declarations and the relative distribution of the carbon footprint performance classes of battery models placed on the market, and taking into account the scientific and technical progress in the field, the Commission shall set maximum life cycle carbon footprint thresholds for the battery categories referred to in Article 7(1), after having carried out a dedicated impact assessment to determine the values for the thresholds.

In setting maximum life cycle carbon footprint thresholds referred to in the first subparagraph, the Commission shall take into account the relative distribution of the carbon footprint values for batteries on the market, the extent of progress in reducing the carbon footprint of batteries placed on the market and the actual and potential contribution of those life cycle carbon footprint thresholds to the Union’s objectives on sustainable mobility and climate neutrality by 2050.

ANNEX III

ELECTROCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY PARAMETERS FOR PORTABLE BATTERIES OF GENERAL USE

Part A Parameters for non-rechargeable batteries

1. Minimum average duration: minimum average time reached by a sample of batteries on discharge when used under specific conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity.

2. Delayed discharge performance: the relative decrease of the minimum average duration, with the initially measured minimum average duration as the reference point, after a defined period and under specific conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity.

3. Resistance to leakage: resistance to unplanned escape of electrolyte, gas or other material.

Part B Parameters for rechargeable batteries

1. Rated capacity: the capacity value of a battery, under specific conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, and declared by the manufacturer.

2. Charge (capacity) retention: the capacity that a battery can deliver after storage, under specific conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, for a specific time, without a subsequent recharge and expressed as a percentage of the rated capacity.

3. Charge (capacity) recovery: the capacity that a battery can deliver with a subsequent recharge after storage, under specific conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, for a specific time and expressed as percentage of the rated capacity.

4. Endurance in cycles the number of charge and discharge cycles a battery can perform under specific conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, before the capacity drops below a specified fraction of the rated capacity.

5. Resistance to leakage: resistance to unplanned escape of electrolyte, gas or other material.

ANNEX IV

ELECTROCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR LMT BATTERIES, INDUSTRIAL BATTERIES WITH A CAPACITY GREATER THAN 2 KWH AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES

For the purposes of this Annex the following definitions apply:

1) ‘Rated capacity’ means the total number of ampere-hours (Ah) that can be withdrawn from a fully charged battery under reference conditions.

2) ‘Capacity fade’ means the decrease over time and upon usage in the amount of charge that a battery can deliver at the rated voltage, with respect to the original rated capacity.

3) ‘Power’ means the amount of energy that a battery is capable of providing over a given period under reference conditions.

4) ‘Power fade’ means the decrease over time and upon usage in the amount of power that a battery can deliver at the rated voltage.

5) ‘Internal resistance’ means the opposition to the flow of current within a cell or a battery under reference conditions, that is, the sum of electronic resistance and ionic resistance to the contribution to total effective resistance including inductive/capacitive properties.

6) ‘Energy round trip efficiency’ means the ratio of the net energy delivered by a battery during a discharge test to the total energy required to restore the initial state of charge by a standard charge.

Part A Parameters related to electrochemical performance and durability

1. Rated capacity (in Ah) and capacity fade (in %).

2. Power (in W) and power fade (in %).

3. Internal resistance (in Ω) and internal resistance increase (in %).

4. Where applicable, energy round trip efficiency and its fade (in %).

5. The expected life-time of the battery under the reference conditions for which it has been designed, in terms of cycles, except for non-cycle applications, and calendar years.

Part B Elements to explain the measurements for parameters listed in Part A

1. Applied discharge rate and charge rate.

2. Ratio between nominal battery power (W) and battery energy (Wh).

3. Depth of discharge in the cycle-life test.

4. Power capability at 80 % and 20 % state of charge.

5. Any calculations performed with the measured parameters, if applicable.

ANNEX V

SAFETY PARAMETERS

1. Thermal shock and cycling

This test shall be designed to evaluate changes in the integrity of the battery arising from expansion and contraction of cell components upon exposure to extreme and sudden changes in temperature, and potential consequences of such changes. During a thermal shock, the battery shall be exposed to two temperature limits and held at each temperature limit for a specified period.

2. External short circuit protection

This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery when applying an external short circuit. The test can evaluate the activation of the overcurrent protection device or the ability of cells to withstand the current without reaching a hazardous situation (e.g. thermal runaway, explosion, fire). The main risk factors are heat generation at cell level and electrical arcing, which can damage circuitry or lead to reduced isolation resistance.

3. Overcharge protection

This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in overcharge situations. The main safety risks during overcharge are the decomposition of the electrolyte, cathode and anode breakdown, exothermic decomposition of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, separator degradation, and lithium plating, which can lead to self-heating of the battery and thermal runaway. The factors affecting the outcome of the test shall, as a minimum, include, the charging rate and the finally reached state of charge. The protection can be ensured either by voltage control (interruption after reaching the limit charging voltage) or current control (interruption after exceeding maximum charging current).

4. Over-discharge protection

This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in over-discharge situations. Safety risks during over-discharge include polarity reversal leading to oxidation of the anode current collector (Copper) and to plating on the cathode side. Even minor over-discharge can cause dendrite formation and ultimately short-circuiting.

5. Over-temperature protection

This test shall evaluate the effect of temperature control failure or failure of other features for protection against internal overheating during operation.

6. Thermal propagation protection

This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in thermal propagation situations. A thermal runaway in one cell can cause a cascading reaction throughout the entire battery which can be composed of numerous cells. It can lead to severe consequences including a significant gas release. The test shall take into account the tests that are under development for transport applications by ISO and the UN Global Technical Regulation.

7. Mechanical damage by external forces

These tests shall simulate one or more situations in which a battery is accidentally exposed to mechanical stresses and remains operational for the purpose for which it was designed. The criteria to simulate these situations should reflect real life uses.

8. Internal short circuit

This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in internal short-circuit situations. The occurrence of internal short circuits, one of the main concerns for battery manufacturers, potentially leads to venting, thermal runaway, and sparking which can ignite the electrolyte vapours escaping from the cell. The generation of such internal short circuits can be triggered by manufacturing imperfections, the presence of impurities in the cells or dendritic growth of lithium, and is the cause of most in-field safety incidents. Multiple internal short circuit scenarios are possible (e.g. electrical contact of cathode/anode, aluminium current collector/copper current collector, aluminium current collector/anode) each with a different contact resistance.

9. Thermal abuse

During this test, the battery shall be exposed to elevated temperatures (in IEC 62619 the temperature is 85 °C) which can trigger exothermal decomposition reactions and lead to a thermal runaway in the cell.

10. Fire test

The risk of explosion shall be assessed by exposing the battery to fire.

11. Emission of gases

Batteries can contain significant amounts of potentially hazardous materials, for example highly flammable electrolytes, corrosive and toxic components. If exposed to certain conditions, the integrity of the battery could be compromised, resulting in the release of hazardous gases. Therefore, it is important to identify emissions of gases from substances released from the battery during tests: the risk of toxic gases emitted from non-aqueous electrolytes shall be properly taken into account for all safety parameters listed in points 1 to 10.

ANNEX VI

LABELLING, MARKING AND INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS

Part A: General information on batteries

Information on the label of a battery shall comprise the following information regarding the battery:

1) information identifying the manufacturer in accordance with Article 38(7);

2) the battery category and information identifying the battery in accordance with Article 38(6);

3) the place of manufacture (geographical location of a battery manufacturing plant);

4) the date of manufacture (month and year);

5) the weight;

6) the capacity;

7) the chemistry;

8) the hazardous substances present in the battery, other than mercury, cadmium or lead;

9) usable extinguishing agent;

10) critical raw materials present in the battery in a concentration of more than 0,1 % weight by weight.

Part B: Symbol for separate collection of batteries

Part C: QR code

The QR code shall be in high contrast to the background colour and of a size that is easily readable by a commonly available QR reader, such as those integrated in hand-held communication devices.

ANNEX VII

PARAMETERS FOR DETERMINING THE STATE OF HEALTH AND EXPECTED LIFETIME OF BATTERIES

Part A

Parameters for determining the state of health of electric vehicle batteries, stationary battery energy storage systems and LMT batteries:

For electric vehicle batteries:

state of certified energy (SOCE).

For stationary battery energy storage systems and LMT batteries:

1) the remaining capacity;

2) where possible, the remaining power capability;

3) where possible, the remaining round trip efficiency;

4) the evolution of self-discharging rates;

5) where possible, the ohmic resistance.

Part B

Parameters for determining the expected lifetime of stationary battery energy storage systems and LMT batteries:

1) the date of manufacture of the battery and, where appropriate, the date of putting into service;

2) the energy throughput;

3) the capacity throughput;

4) the tracking of harmful events, such as the number of deep discharge events, time spent in extreme temperatures, time spent charging in extreme temperatures;

5) the number of full equivalent charge-discharge cycles.

ANNEX VIII

CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

Part A

MODULE A – INTERNAL PRODUCTION CONTROL

1. Description of the module

Internal production control is the conformity assessment procedure whereby the manufacturer fulfils the obligations set out in points 2, 3 and 4, and ensures and declares on its sole responsibility that the batteries concerned meet the requirements laid down in Articles 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 that apply to them.

2. Technical documentation

The manufacturer shall draw up the technical documentation. The documentation shall make it possible to assess the battery’s conformity with the relevant requirements referred to in point 1 and shall include an adequate analysis and assessment of the risks.

The technical documentation shall specify the applicable requirements and cover, as far as relevant for the assessment, the design, manufacture and operation of the battery. The technical documentation shall, where applicable, contain at least the following elements:

a) a general description of the battery and its intended use;

b) the conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and schemes of components, sub-assemblies and circuits;

c) the descriptions and explanations necessary for the understanding of the drawings and schemes referred to in point (b) and the operation of the battery;

d) a specimen of the label required in accordance with Article 13;

e) a list of the harmonised standards referred to in Article 15, applied in full or in part, including an indication of which parts have been applied, a list of the common specifications referred to in Article 16, applied in full or in part, including an indication of which parts have been applied, and a list of other relevant technical specifications used for measurement or calculation purposes;

f) where the harmonised standards and the common specifications referred to in point (e) have not been applied or are not available, a description of the solutions adopted to meet the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 or to verify the compliance of batteries with those requirements;

g) the results of design calculations made and the examinations carried out, and the technical or documentary evidence used; and

h) the test reports.

3. Manufacturing

The manufacturer shall take all measures necessary so that the manufacturing process and the monitoring thereof ensure the batteries comply with the technical documentation referred to in point 2 and with the applicable requirements referred to in point 1.

4. CE marking and EU declaration of conformity

The manufacturer shall affix the CE marking to each individual battery that meets the applicable requirements referred to in point 1, or, where that is not possible or not warranted due to the nature of the battery, to the packaging and the documents accompanying the battery.

The manufacturer shall draw up an EU declaration of conformity for each battery model in accordance with Article 18 and keep it together with the technical documentation at the disposal of the national authorities for 10 years after the last battery belonging to the respective battery model has been placed on the market. The EU declaration of conformity shall identify the battery model for which it has been drawn up.

A copy of the EU declaration of conformity shall be made available to the national authorities upon request.

5. Manufacturer’s authorised representative

The manufacturer’s obligations set out in point 4 may be fulfilled by the manufacturer’s authorised representative, on its behalf and under the manufacturer’s responsibility, provided that they are specified in the mandate.

Part B

MODULE D1 – QUALITY ASSURANCE OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

1. Description of the module

Quality assurance of the production process is the conformity assessment procedure whereby the manufacturer fulfils the obligations set out in points 2, 4 and 7, and ensures and declares on its sole responsibility, without prejudice to the obligations of other economic operators in accordance with this Regulation, that the batteries concerned meet the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 7 and 8, or, at the choice of the manufacturer, all applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14.

2. Technical documentation

The manufacturer shall draw up the technical documentation. The technical documentation shall make it possible to assess the battery’s conformity with the relevant requirements referred to in point 1, and shall include an adequate analysis and assessment of the risks.

The technical documentation shall specify the applicable requirements and cover, as far as relevant for the assessment, the design, manufacture and operation of the battery. The technical documentation shall, where applicable, contain at least the following elements:

a) a general description of the battery and its intended use;

b) the conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and schemes of components, sub-assemblies and circuits;

c) the descriptions and explanations necessary for the understanding of the drawings and schemes referred to in point (b) and the operation of the battery;

d) a specimen of the label required in accordance with Article 13;

e) a list of the harmonised standards referred to in Article 15, the common specifications referred to in Article 16, or of both, applied, and, in the event of partly applied harmonised standards, common specifications, or both, an indication of which parts have been applied;

f) a list of other relevant technical specifications used for measurement or calculation purposes and descriptions of the solutions adopted to meet the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 or to verify the compliance of batteries with those requirements, where harmonised standards, common specifications, or both, have not been applied or are not available;

g) the results of design calculations made and the examinations carried out, and the technical or documentary evidence used;

h) a study supporting the carbon footprint values referred to in Article 7(1) and the carbon footprint class referred to in Article 7(2), containing the calculations made in accordance with the methodology set out in the delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 7(1), fourth subparagraph, point (a), and the evidence and information determining the input data for those calculations;

i) a study supporting the recycled content share referred to in Article 8, containing the calculations made in accordance with the methodology set out in the delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 8(1), second subparagraph, and the evidence and information determining the input data for those calculations; and

j) the test reports.

3. Availability of technical documentation

The manufacturer shall keep the technical documentation at the disposal of the national authorities for 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market.

4. Manufacturing

The manufacturer shall operate an approved quality system for production, final product inspection and testing of the batteries concerned as specified in point 5, and shall be subject to surveillance as specified in point 6.

5. Quality system

1. The manufacturer shall lodge an application for assessment of its quality system with the notified body of its choice, for the batteries concerned. The application shall include:

a) the name and address of the manufacturer and, if the application is lodged by the manufacturer’s authorised representative, its name and address as well;

b) a written declaration that the same application has not been lodged with any other notified body;

c) all relevant information for the battery category envisaged;

d) the documentation concerning the quality system referred to in point 5.2;

e) the technical documentation referred to in point 2.

2. The quality system shall ensure that the batteries comply with the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14. All the elements, requirements and provisions adopted by the manufacturer shall be documented in a systematic and orderly manner in the form of written policies, procedures and instructions. The quality system documentation shall make it possible to have a consistent interpretation of the quality programmes, plans, manuals and records. The quality system documentation shall, in particular, contain an adequate description of:

a) the quality objectives and the organisational structure, responsibilities and powers of the management with regard to product quality;

b) the procedures for documenting and monitoring the parameters and data necessary for calculating and updating the recycled content share referred to in Article 8 and, where applicable, the carbon footprint values and class referred to in Article 7;

c) the corresponding manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance techniques, processes and systematic actions that will be used;

d) the examinations, calculations, measurements and tests that will be carried out before, during and after manufacture, and the frequency with which they will be carried out;

e) the quality records, such as inspection reports and calculation, measurement and test data, calibration data, qualification reports on the personnel concerned;

f) the means of monitoring the achievement of the required product quality and the effective operation of the quality system.

3. The notified body shall assess the quality system to determine whether it meets the requirements referred to in point 5.2. It shall presume conformity with those requirements in respect of the elements of the quality system that comply with the corresponding specifications of the relevant harmonised standard. In addition to experience in quality management systems, the auditing team shall have at least one member with experience of evaluation in the relevant product field and product technology concerned, and knowledge of the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14. The audit shall include an assessment visit to the manufacturer’s premises. The auditing team shall review the technical documentation referred to in point 2 in order to verify the manufacturer’s ability to identify the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14 and to carry out the necessary examinations, calculations, measurements and tests with a view to ensuring that the battery complies with those requirements. The auditing team shall check the reliability of data used for the calculation of the recycled content share referred to in Article 8 and, where applicable, the carbon footprint values and class referred to in Article 7 as well as the proper implementation of the relevant calculation methodology. After having assessed the quality system, the notified body shall notify its decision to the manufacturer. The notification shall contain the conclusions of the audit and the reasons for that decision.

4. The manufacturer shall undertake to fulfil the obligations arising from the quality system as approved and to maintain it so that it remains adequate and efficient.

5. The manufacturer shall keep the notified body that has approved the quality system informed of any intended change to the quality system. The notified body shall evaluate any proposed changes and decide whether the modified quality system will continue to meet the requirements referred to in point 5.2 or whether reassessment is necessary. The notified body shall notify the manufacturer of its decision. The notification shall contain the conclusions of the examination and the reasoned assessment decision.

6. Surveillance under the responsibility of the notified body

1) The purpose of surveillance is to make sure that the manufacturer duly fulfils the obligations arising from the approved quality system.

2) The manufacturer shall, for assessment purposes, allow the notified body access to the manufacture, inspection, testing and storage sites and shall provide it with all necessary information, in particular:

a) the quality system documentation referred to in point 5.2;

b) the technical documentation referred to in point 2;

c) the quality records, such as inspection reports and calculation, measurement and test data, calibration data and qualification reports on the personnel concerned.

3) The notified body shall carry out periodic audits to make sure that the manufacturer maintains and applies the quality system, and shall provide the manufacturer with an audit report. During such audits, the notified body shall check at least the reliability of data used for the calculation of the recycled content share referred to in Article 8 and, where applicable, the carbon footprint values and class referred to in Article 7, as well as the proper implementation of the relevant calculation methodology.

4) In addition, the notified body may pay unexpected visits to the manufacturer. During such visits, the notified body may, if necessary, carry out examinations, calculations, measurements and tests, or have them carried out, in order to verify that the quality system is functioning correctly. The notified body shall provide the manufacturer with a visit report and, if tests have been carried out, with a test report.

7. CE marking and EU declaration of conformity A copy of the EU declaration of conformity shall be made available to the national authorities upon request.

1) The manufacturer shall affix the CE marking, and, under the responsibility of the notified body referred to in point 5.1, the latter’s identification number to each individual battery that meets the applicable requirements referred to in point 1, or, where that is not possible or is not warranted due to the nature of the battery, to the packaging and the documents accompanying the battery.

2) The manufacturer shall draw up an EU declaration of conformity for each battery model in accordance with Article 18 and keep it at the disposal of the national authorities for 10 years after the last battery belonging to the respective battery model has been placed on the market. The EU declaration of conformity shall identify the battery model for which it has been drawn up.

8. Availability of quality system documentation The manufacturer shall, for a period of 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market, keep at the disposal of the national authorities:

a) the quality system documentation referred to in point 5.2;

b) the change referred to in point 5.5, as approved;

c) the decisions and reports of the notified body referred to in points 5.5, 6.3 and 6.4.

9. Information obligations of the notified body Each notified body shall inform its notifying authority of quality system approvals issued or withdrawn, and shall, periodically or upon request, make available to its notifying authority the list of quality system approvals refused, suspended or otherwise restricted. Each notified body shall inform the other notified bodies of quality system approvals which it has refused, withdrawn, suspended or otherwise restricted, and, upon request, of quality system approvals which it has issued.

10. Manufacturer’s authorised representative The manufacturer’s obligations set out in points 3, 5.1, 5.5, 7 and 8 may be fulfilled by the manufacturer’s authorised representative, on the manufacturer’s behalf and under the manufacturer’s responsibility, provided that they are specified in the mandate.

Part C

MODULE G – CONFORMITY BASED ON UNIT VERIFICATION

1. Description of the module

Conformity based on unit verification is the conformity assessment procedure whereby the manufacturer fulfils the obligations set out in points 2, 3 and 5, and ensures and declares on its sole responsibility, without prejudice to the obligations of other economic operators in accordance with this Regulation, that the battery concerned, which has been subject to the provisions of point 4, is in conformity with the applicable requirements laid down in Articles 7 and 8, or, at the choice of the manufacturer, all applicable requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 10 and Articles 12, 13 and 14.

2. Technical documentation

1. The manufacturer shall draw up the technical documentation and make it available to the notified body referred to in point 4. The technical documentation shall make it possible to assess the battery’s conformity with the relevant requirements referred to in point 1 and shall include an adequate analysis and assessment of the risks. The technical documentation shall specify the applicable requirements and cover, as far as relevant for the assessment, the design, manufacture and operation of the battery. The technical documentation shall, where applicable, contain at least the following elements:

a) a general description of the battery and its intended use;

b) the conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and schemes of components, sub-assemblies and circuits;

c) the descriptions and explanations necessary for the understanding of the drawings and schemes referred to in point (b) and the operation of the battery;

d) a specimen of the label required in accordance with Article 13;

e) a list of the harmonised standards referred to in Article 15, the common specifications referred to in Article 16, or of both, applied, and, in the event of partly applied harmonised standards, common specifications, or both, an indication of which parts have been applied;

f) a list of other relevant technical specifications used for measurement or calculation purposes and descriptions of the solutions adopted to meet the applicable requirements referred to in point 1 or to verify the conformity of batteries with those requirements, where harmonised standards, common specifications, or both, have not been applied or are not available;

g) the results of design calculations made and the examinations carried out, and the technical or documentary evidence used;

h) a study supporting the carbon footprint values and class referred to in Article 7, containing the calculations made in accordance with the methodology set out in the delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 7(1), fourth subparagraph, point (a), and the evidence and information determining the input data for those calculations;

i) a study supporting the recycled content share referred to in Article 8, containing the calculations made in accordance with the methodology set out in the delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 8(1), second subparagraph, and the evidence and information determining the input data for those calculations; and

j) the test reports.

2. The manufacturer shall keep the technical documentation at the disposal of the national authorities for 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market.

3. Manufacturing The manufacturer shall take all measures necessary so that the manufacturing process and the monitoring thereof ensure that the manufactured battery is in conformity with the applicable requirements referred to in point 1.

4. Verification

1) A notified body chosen by the manufacturer shall carry out appropriate examinations, calculations, measurements and tests, as set out in the relevant harmonised standards referred to in Article 15, common specifications referred to in Article 16, or both, or equivalent tests, to check the conformity of the battery with the applicable requirements referred to in point 1, or have them carried out. In the absence of such a harmonised standard or common specification, the notified body concerned shall decide on the appropriate examinations, calculations, measurements and tests to be carried out. The notified body shall issue a certificate of conformity in respect of the examinations, calculations, measurements and tests carried out and shall affix its identification number to the approved battery, or have it affixed under its responsibility.

2) The manufacturer shall keep the certificates of conformity at the disposal of the national authorities for 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market.

5. CE marking and EU declaration of conformity The manufacturer shall affix the CE marking and, under the responsibility of the notified body referred to in point 4, the latter’s identification number to each battery that meets the applicable requirements referred to in point 1, or, where that is not possible or is not warranted due to the nature of the battery, to the packaging and the documents accompanying the battery. The manufacturer shall draw up an EU declaration of conformity in accordance with Article 18 for each battery and keep it at the disposal of the national authorities for 10 years after the battery has been placed on the market. The EU declaration of conformity shall identify the battery for which it has been drawn up. A copy of the EU declaration of conformity shall be made available to the national authorities upon request.

6. Manufacturer’s authorised representative The manufacturer’s obligations set out in points 2.2, 4.2 and 5 may be fulfilled by the manufacturer’s authorised representative, on the manufacturer’s behalf and under the manufacturer’s responsibility, provided that they are specified in the mandate.

ANNEX IX

EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY No* … * (identification number of the declaration)

1. Battery model (product, category, and batch or serial number):

2. Name and address of the manufacturer and, where applicable, its authorised representative:

3. This declaration of conformity is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer.

4. Object of the declaration (description of the battery and identification allowing traceability, and which may, where appropriate, include an image of the battery):

5. The object of the declaration described in point 4 is in conformity with the relevant Union harmonisation legislation: … (reference to the other Union acts applied).

6. References to the relevant harmonised standards or the common specifications used or references to the other technical specifications in relation to which conformity is declared:

7. The notified body … (name, address, number) … performed … (description of intervention) … and issued the certificate(s): … (details, including its date, and, where appropriate, information on the duration of and conditions for its validity).

8. Additional information Signed for and on behalf of: (place and date of issue): (name, function) (signature)

ANNEX X

LIST OF RAW MATERIALS AND RISK CATEGORIES

1. Raw materials:

a) cobalt;

b) natural graphite;

c) lithium;

d) nickel;

e) chemical compounds based on the raw materials listed in points (a) to (d), which are necessary for the manufacturing of the active materials of batteries.

2. Social and environmental risk categories:

a) environment, climate and human health, considering direct, induced, indirect and cumulative effects, including:

i) air, including air pollution such as greenhouse gas emissions,

ii) water, including seabed and marine environment, and including water pollution, water use, water quantities (flooding or droughts) and access to water,

iii) soil, including soil pollution, soil erosion, land use and land degradation,

iv) biodiversity, including damage to habitats, wildlife, flora and ecosystems, including ecosystem services,

v) hazardous substances,

vi) noise and vibration,

vii) plant safety,

viii) energy use,

ix) waste and residues;

b) human rights, labour rights and industrial relations, including:

i) occupational health and safety,

ii) child labour,

iii) forced labour,

iv) discrimination,

v) trade union freedoms;

c) community life, including that of indigenous peoples.

3. The international instruments covering the risks referred to in point 2 include:

a) the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact;

b) the UNEP Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products;

c) the Convention on Biological Diversity, in particular Decision COP VIII/28 – Voluntary guidelines on Biodiversity-Inclusive impact assessment;

d) the UN Paris Agreement;

e) the eight fundamental ILO Conventions as defined under the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;

f) any other international environmental conventions that are binding upon the Union or its Member States;

g) the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;

h) the International Bill of Human Rights, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

4. The internationally recognized due diligence instruments applicable to the due diligence requirements laid down in Chapter VII of this Regulation:

a) the International Bill of Human Rights, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

b) the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;

c) the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises;

d) the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy;

e) the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct;

f) the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.

ANNEX XI

CALCULATION OF COLLECTION RATES FOR WASTE PORTABLE BATTERIES AND WASTE LMT BATTERIES

1. Producers of the relevant category of batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, and Member States shall calculate the collection rate as the percentage obtained by dividing the weight of waste batteries, collected in accordance with Articles 59, 60 and 69, respectively, in a given calendar year in a Member State by the average weight of such batteries that producers either make available on the market directly to end-users or deliver to third parties in order to make them available on the market to end-users in that Member State during the three preceding calendar years. The collection rate shall be calculated for portable batteries in accordance with Article 59, and for LMT batteries in accordance with Article 60 respectively. Year Data collection Calculation Reporting requirement Year 1 Sales in year 1 (S1) Year 2 Sales in year 2 (S2) Year 3 Sales in year 3 (S3) Year 4 Sales in year 4 (S4) Collection in year 4 (C4) Collection rate (CR4) = 3*C4/(S1+S2+S3) CR4 Year 5 Sales in year 5 (S5) Collection in year 5 (C5) Collection rate (CR5) = 3*C5/(S2+S3+S4) CR5 Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.

2. Producers of the relevant category of batteries or, where appointed in accordance with Article 57(1), producer responsibility organisations, and Member States shall calculate the annual sales of batteries to end-users in a given year, as the weight of such batteries made available on the market for the first time within the territory of the Member State in the year concerned, excluding any batteries that have left the territory of that Member State in that year, before being sold to the end-users. Those sales shall be calculated separately for portable batteries and for LMT batteries.

3. For each battery, only the first time it is made available on the market in a Member State shall be counted.

4. The calculation provided for in points 1 and 2 shall be based on collected data or statistically significant estimates based on collected data.

ANNEX XII

STORAGE AND TREATMENT, INCLUDING RECYCLING, REQUIREMENTS

Part A: Storage and treatment requirements

1. Treatment shall, as a minimum, include removal of all fluids and acids.

2. Treatment and any storage, including temporary storage, at treatment facilities, including recycling facilities, shall take place in sites with impermeable surfaces and suitable weatherproof covering or in suitable containers.

3. Waste batteries in treatment facilities, including recycling facilities, shall be stored in such a way that they are not mixed with waste from conductive or combustible materials.

4. Special precautions and safety measures shall be in place for the treatment of waste lithium-based batteries during handling, sorting and storage. Such measures shall include protection from exposure to: Waste lithium-based batteries shall be stored in their normally installed orientation, that is, never inverted, and in well-ventilated areas and they shall be covered with a high voltage rubber isolation. Storage facilities for waste lithium-based batteries shall be marked with a warning sign.

a) excessive heat, such as high temperatures, fire or direct sunlight;

b) water, such as precipitation and flooding;

c) any crushing or physical damage.

5. Mercury shall be separated during treatment into an identifiable stream, which is safely immobilised and disposed of and cannot cause adverse effects on human health or the environment.

6. Cadmium shall be separated during treatment into an identifiable stream, which is given a safe destination and cannot cause adverse effects on human health or the environment.

Part B: Targets for recycling efficiency

1. No later than 31 December 2025, recycling shall achieve at least the following targets for recycling efficiency:

a) recycling of 75 % by average weight of lead-acid batteries;

b) recycling of 65 % by average weight of lithium-based batteries;

c) recycling of 80 % by average weight of nickel-cadmium batteries;

d) recycling of 50 % by average weight of other waste batteries.

2. No later than 31 December 2030, recycling shall achieve at least the following targets for recycling efficiency:

a) recycling of 80 % by average weight of lead-acid batteries;

b) recycling of 70 % by average weight of lithium-based batteries.

Part C: Targets for recovery of materials

1. No later than 31 December 2027, all recycling shall achieve at least the following targets for recovery of materials:

a) 90 % for cobalt;

b) 90 % for copper;

c) 90 % for lead;

d) 50 % for lithium;

e) 90 % for nickel.

2. No later than 31 December 2031, all recycling shall achieve at least the following targets for recovery of materials:

a) 95 % for cobalt;

b) 95 % for copper;

c) 95 % for lead;

d) 80 % for lithium;

e) 95 % for nickel.

ANNEX XIII

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BATTERY PASSPORT

1. PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION RELATING TO THE BATTERY MODEL

A battery passport shall include the following information relating to the battery model, which shall be accessible to the public:

a) the information specified in Part A of Annex VI;

b) the material composition of the battery, including its chemistry, hazardous substances present in the battery, other than mercury, cadmium or lead, and critical raw materials present in the battery;

c) the carbon footprint information referred to in Article 7(1) and (2);

d) information on responsible sourcing as indicated in the report on battery due diligence policy referred to in Article 52(3);

e) recycled content information as contained in the documentation referred to in Article 8(1);

f) the share of renewable content;

g) rated capacity (in Ah);

h) minimal, nominal and maximum voltage, with temperature ranges when relevant;

i) original power capability (in Watts) and limits, with temperature range when relevant;

j) expected battery lifetime expressed in cycles, and reference test used;

k) capacity threshold for exhaustion (only for electric vehicle batteries);

l) temperature range the battery can withstand when not in use (reference test);

m) period for which the commercial warranty for the calendar life applies;

n) initial round trip energy efficiency and at 50 % of cycle-life;

o) internal battery cell and pack resistance;

p) c-rate of relevant cycle-life test.

q) the marking requirements laid down in Article 13(4) and (5);

r) the EU declaration of conformity referred to in Article 18;

s) the information regarding the prevention and management of waste batteries laid down in Article 74(1), points (a) to (f).

2. INFORMATION RELATING TO THE BATTERY MODEL ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO PERSONS WITH A LEGITIMATE INTEREST AND THE COMMISSION

A battery passport shall include the following information relating to the battery model, which shall be accessible only to persons with a legitimate interest and the Commission:

a) detailed composition, including materials used in the cathode, anode and electrolyte;

b) part numbers for components and contact details of sources for replacement spares;

c) dismantling information, including at least:

exploded diagrams of the battery system/pack showing the location of battery cells,

disassembly sequences,

type and number of fastening techniques to be unlocked,

tools required for disassembly,

warnings if risk of damaging parts exist,

amount of cells used and layout;

d) safety measures.

3. INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO NOTIFIED BODIES, MARKET SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITIES AND THE COMMISSION

A battery passport shall include the following information relating to the battery model, which shall be accessible only to notified bodies, market surveillance authorities and the Commission:

results of test reports proving compliance with the requirements laid down in this Regulation or any delegated or implementing act adopted pursuant to this Regulation.

4. INFORMATION AND DATA RELATING TO AN INDIVIDUAL BATTERY ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO PERSONS WITH A LEGITIMATE INTEREST

A battery passport shall include the following specific information and data relating to an individual battery, which shall be accessible only to persons with a legitimate interest:

a) the values for performance and durability parameters referred to in Article 10(1), when the battery is placed on the market and when it is subject to changes in its status;

b) information on the state of health of the battery pursuant to Article 14;

c) information on the status of the battery, defined as ‘original’, ‘repurposed’, ‘re-used’, ‘remanufactured’ or ‘waste’;

d) information and data resulting from its use, including the number of charging and discharging cycles and negative events, such as accidents, as well as periodically recorded information on the operating environmental conditions, including temperature, and on the state of charge.

ANNEX XIV

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS OF USED BATTERIES

1. In order to distinguish between used and waste batteries, where the holder, meaning the natural or legal person in possession of the used batteries or the waste batteries, claims that it intends to ship or is shipping used batteries and not waste batteries, that holder shall be required to have available the following to substantiate that claim:

a) a copy of the invoice and contract relating to the sale or transfer of ownership of the batteries which states that the batteries are destined for direct re-use and that they are fully functional;

b) evidence of evaluation or testing in the form of a copy of the records, such as the certificate of testing, proof of functionality for every battery or fraction thereof in the consignment, and the protocol containing all information on the record in accordance with point 3;

c) a declaration made by the holder that none of the material or equipment within the consignment is waste as defined by Article 3, point (1), of Directive 2008/98/EC; and

d) appropriate protection against damage during transportation, loading and unloading, in particular through sufficient packaging and appropriate stacking of the load.

2. Point 1(a) and (b) and point 3 shall not apply where it is demonstrated by documentary proof that the shipment is taking place in the framework of a business-to-business transfer agreement and that:

a) the used battery is sent back to the producer or a third party acting on its behalf for repair under warranty with the intention of re-use; or

b) if the used battery is for professional use, it is sent to the producer or a third party acting on its behalf or a third-party facility in countries to which OECD Council Decision C(2001)107/Final on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations applies, for refurbishment or repair under a valid contract with the intention of re-use; or

c) if the used battery is for professional use and is defective, it is sent to the producer or a third party acting on its behalf for root cause analysis under a valid contract, in cases where such an analysis can only be conducted by the producer or third parties acting on its behalf.

3. In order to demonstrate that the batteries being shipped constitute used batteries, rather than waste batteries, its holder shall carry out the following steps for testing and record-keeping:

Step 1: Testing

a) the battery shall be tested for its state of health and the presence of hazardous substances shall be evaluated;

b) the results of the evaluation and testing referred to in point (a) shall be recorded.

Step 2: Record

a) the record shall be fixed securely but not permanently on either the used battery itself, if the used battery has not been packed, or on the packaging, so it can be read without removing the packaging;

b) the record shall contain the following information:

name of the battery or fraction thereof,

identification number of the battery or fraction thereof, where applicable,

year of production, if available,

name and address of the company responsible for testing the state of health,

types of tests performed for step 1,

result of the tests performed for step 1, including the date of the tests.

4. In addition to the documentation required in points 1, 2 and 3, every load, for example shipping container or lorry, of used batteries shall be accompanied by:

a) a relevant transport document; and

b) a declaration of responsibility by the person liable.

5. In the absence of proof that an object is a used battery, and not a waste battery, in the form of the appropriate documentation required in points 1, 2, 3 and 4, and of appropriate protection against damage during transportation, loading and unloading, in particular through sufficient packaging and appropriate stacking of the load, which are the obligations of the holder that arranges the transport, the object shall be considered waste and it shall be presumed that the load comprises an illegal shipment. In such cases, the load shall be dealt with in accordance with Articles 24 and 25 of Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006.

ANNEX XV

CORRELATION TABLE

1 Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom of 25 June 2009 establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations (OJ L 172, 2.7.2009, p. 18).

2 Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 on the approval and market surveillance of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles (OJ L 60, 2.3.2013, p. 52).

3 Directive 2004/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2004 on the harmonisation of transparency requirements in relation to information about issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market and amending Directive 2001/34/EC (OJ L 390, 31.12.2004, p. 38).

4 Regulation (EU) 2019/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the internal market for electricity (OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, p. 54).

5 Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on the inland transport of dangerous goods (OJ L 260, 30.9.2008, p. 13).

6 Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, amending Directive (EU) 2020/1828 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC ( OJ L, 2024/1781, 28.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1781/oj).

7 Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment and repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC (OJ L 81, 31.3.2016, p. 51).

8 Regulation (EU) 2016/426 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on appliances burning gaseous fuels and repealing Directive 2009/142/EC (OJ L 81, 31.3.2016, p. 99).

9 Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries, amending Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Directive 2006/66/EC (OJ L 191, 28.7.2023, p. 1).’;

10 Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries, amending Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Directive 2006/66/EC (OJ L 191, 28.7.2023, p. 1).’.

11 Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits (OJ L 96, 29.3.2014, p. 357, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/35/oj).

12 Systems that have a voltage of > 75 V DC as provided for in Article 1 of Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council.

14 This exemption shall be reviewed in 2030.

15 This exemption shall be reviewed in 2030.

19 IEC mentions charge and capacity. Both represent the same physical quantity (charge); the only difference is that charge is expressed in C = A*s whereas capacity is expressed in A*h. In practice, capacity is used in most cases.