The European Commission has announced new technical rules for the implementation of the EU Battery Regulation. These measures are intended to ensure that the recycling of waste batteries and the recovery of materials they contain are conducted efficiently, assessed according to uniform standards and fully documented. The rules establish a binding methodology for calculating and verifying key performance indicators.
Specifically, the rules cover two different metrics: the recycling efficiency rate, which describes how much of the total mass of waste battery material is recycled, and the material recovery rate, which refers to strategic metals, such as lithium, cobalt, copper, lead and nickel. This rate measures the share of these materials that is recycled in a form suitable for industrial reuse. Recyclers must calculate and report these rates using a standardised methodology calculation, including data on mass, the composition of processed materials, intermediate and output fractions, origin and destination. The aim is to improve traceability of important material streams.
The Delegated Regulation now published in the EU Official Journal sets out calculation formulas, defines materials and establishes documentation formats. It will take effect on 24 July. Starting in 2026, recyclers will have to submit their data annually to the authorities in the EU member state where the waste batteries were treated. These member state authorities will forward the verified information to the authorities in the countries where the batteries were collected, which in turn are responsible for reporting to the European Union.
The EU Battery Regulation sets out a number of targets, for instance for the material recovery of cobalt, which at 90 per cent to be achieved by the end of 2025 and will be raised to 95 per cent in 2031. The new supplementary requirements and methods apply to lead-acid, lithium, nickel-cadmium, and other types of waste batteries. The legislation also sets out detailed verification requirements for the safe management of hazardous substances contained in these batteries, such as mercury and cadmium.
