European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has taken on new responsibilities to assist the European Commission (EC) in updating the EU’s battery regulations. The main focus of this role is to identify substances of concern present in batteries or used during their production. The anticipated deadline for this report is December 31, 2027. The report will pinpoint these substances and explore potential actions, including potential restrictions across the EU. It is expected that ECHA will begin its work toward this report in 2024.

Furthermore, the Commission may request ECHA to prepare restriction proposals on harmful substances in batteries and waste batteries. Additionally, ECHA will provide an opinionon the effectiveness of the restriction proposal to control the risk (through the Committee for Risk Assessment, RAC) and the socio-economic impact (through the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis, SEAC). The aim is to make batteries on the European Economic Area (EEA) market more sustainable throughout their lifecycle.

The global demand for batteries is experiencing rapid growth. In response to this expansion and taking into account shifts in society, advancements in technology, market trends, and battery applications, the European Commission proposed a new Batteries Regulation in 2020. This regulation about batteries and waste batteries became effective on August 17, 2023 ((EU) 2023/1542).It amends Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repeals Directive 2006/66/EC.

• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Helsinki, Finland