EU Battery Directive

It is desirable to harmonise national measures concerning batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators.

The primary objective of this Directive is to minimise the negative impact of batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators on the environment, thus contributing to the protection, preservation and improvement of the quality of the environment.

The legal base is therefore Article 175(1) of the Treaty. However, it is also appropriate to take measures at Community level on the basis of Article 95(1) of the Treaty to harmonise requirements concerning the heavy metal content and labelling of batteries and accumulators and so to ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market and avoid distortion of competition within the Community.

Read the full EU Battery Directive below.

Batteries & Accumulators

Legislation

The Batteries Directive was adopted in 2006 and has been subject to a number of revisions. Last amendments were incorporated in 20013. The consolidated version of the Directive is presented below

 

Secondary legislation

The Batteries Directive requires that the European Commission, assisted by Member States, develops in detail some of its provisions on, e.g. labelling or reporting. The Decisions and Regulations adopted in this context are listed below,

  • Commission Decision 2008/763/EC establishing, pursuant to Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, a common methodology for the calculation of annual sales of portable batteries and accumulators to end-users
  • Commission Decision 2009/851/EC establishing a questionnaire for Member States reports on the implementation of Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 1103/2010 establishing, pursuant to Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, rules as regards capacity labelling of portable secondary (rechargeable) and automotive batteries and accumulators
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 493/2012 of 11 June 2012 laying down, pursuant to Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, detailed rules regarding the calculation of recycling efficiencies of the recycling processes of waste batteries and accumulators.

 

Guidance Documents

Agree