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Perhaps not everyone knows that in the European Parliament there is a Committee that deals with the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Its acronym is ENVI and it also falls among the topics it deals with the question of batteries of all kinds: for electric cars, for pedal assisted bikes, for scooters and for light transport with two or more wheels. We are not just talking about traction batteries: the whole world of consumer electronics is also included, from smartphones to electric toothbrushes.
In December 2020, the Commission had presented a proposal to regulate batteries, their recycling and waste management at the end of the life cycle of accumulators, a proposal included in the European Green Deal (here the “legislative train”).
One of the latest news, the subject of some amendments discussed on 9 March and voted on the following day, concerns itself the inclusion of light transport vehicles in the proposala necessary measure because the category has imposed itself strongly in urban areas, also thanks to sharing services for scooters and eBike. With the increase in electric vehicles for urban mobility, the next few years will see the volumes of batteries to be processed and / or disposed of.
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BATTERIES: WHAT EUROPE WANTS
Europe wants two things: batteries need to be more sustainable in their production cycle and they must be easy to remove in order to process them at the end of their lifebetween recycling and disposal.
The proposal of the MEP is that of a label accompanying the batteries used in vehicles on the market in Europe, a certificate declaring the quantified footprint in CO2 emissions for the accumulator and a maximum value which refers to the entire cycle, from production to disposal. The label must also include the minimum levels of recoverable materials (cobalt, lead, lithium, nickel) to be able to use them in new batteries.
We are not just talking about cars and light means of transport: by 2024 even the batteries of consumer electronics, such as smartphones, will have to be designed to be safely removable and replaceable either by the consumer himself, or by a third and independent operator. (not related to the manufacturer of the device / light transport vehicle).
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The news is not just about consumers, but they embrace industry too that revolves around the batteries, at every level. The MEP wants all operators working with batteries in the European market to comply with the requirements. We talk about supply risks (also related to ethical and geopolitical issues) and how to process and then resell the raw or semi-finished materials of recovery. The entire value chain will therefore be involved and will have to comply with standards, otherwise it will be impossible to operate in the European market.
The objectives relating to waste management also grow. For the portable devices you want to achieve recovery of the 70% of batteries by 2025 (compared to the original 65%) and 80% by 2030 (previously the share was 70%). The numbers are higher for the batteries of the light means of transport (LMT, eBike, monopattini): 75% of batteries recovered by 202585% by 2030.
For the world of cars, industry and electric vehiclesinstead, all batteries must be recoveredprocessed and recycled. The proposal then strengthens the criteria relating to durability, content in recyclable materialsto the single charger and opens up to technological development, leaving room for materials and solutions yet to be tested or marketed.
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WE DO NOT REPLY PAST ERRORS
Keep the value chain in Europe, this is one of the objectives of the legislation and of the discussion. Europe is aware of the mistakes of the past and thinks better before moving. Incentives on photovoltaicsfor example, the presence of renewables has also increased at a residential level, but they have proved themselves failing to maintain wealth in the EUprecisely because of the production that came (and arrives) mainly from China.
With batteries we are in a very difficult starting situation: Lithium is absent in Europe, raw materials do not abound as elsewhere. Enhancing recycling is the only option for the European Union and its countries to (try to) achieve the objectives of energy independence.
The legislation, and this is a first time, in fact adopts a holistic approach in legislating on a product. The eye of the legislator, therefore, is focused from start to finish, from raw materials to recycling. Another first, then, is that concerning the due diligence: sustainability must not only be environmental, but also social.
We want to avoid phenomena such as the exploitation of minors in mines and in the process of extracting raw materials.
This also applies to suppliers: the Commission of which the Honorable Bonafè is spokesperson, spoke of Europe’s request for all incoming batteriesalso from foreign suppliers, they will have to comply with the same standards required by the EU for batteries produced within its borders of the Old Continent.
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ALL AGREE? MAYBE NOT
There are still many questions and doubts that will necessarily have to be addressed after the publication of the final text of the law. The industry will certainly have some additional chargesbut starting early will bring competitive advantages for companies that decide to invest in the circular battery economy.
While the plenary spoke fairly unanimously, some voices asked for changes or diverged from the general objective. There is talk of increasing the rules on the right to reparation, for example, and there are those who are against it to impose a technology on a mass level (with reference to means of transport), this thesis also supported by the Italian Honorable Fidanza.
We don’t know if recycling will be enough to create an independent Europe from this point of view, especially considering how much Russia and China have the cards of this game in their hand.
During the plenary, the Honorable Procaccini then challenges the assertion that an electric car pollutes less than a petrol car, and reinforces the concept expressed by the colleague who spoke previously on the excessive imbalance in the East for the raw materials necessary for the transition . Nuclear power plants and gas extraction are issues that emerged during the plenary and are starting to find new supporters.
Mr Rooken then draws attention to the dualism between security and ambition: given that the energy transition is necessary, issues such as the security of not passing costs on families must be considered, and the plan is defined as too ambitious.
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WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
The plenary discussion of March 2022 and the report that will derive from it, will be the basis for negotiations in the European Parliament to give a definitive form and legislate on the subject.
Approved by a large majority in the ENVI Commission and voted on March 10 with 584 in favor, 67 against and 40 abstentions, the proposal will be negotiated between the European Parliament and the governments of the member states in order to outline the stakes that will regulate a fundamental aspect for the future of Europe.
Waiting to find out more with the next bureaucratic steps, the goal of 2024 is clear to make the batteries of consumer electronics (smartphones included) replaceable and the same will apply to bicycles, scooters and electric scooters, framed in the LMT (Light Means of Transport) and fundamental for the discourse of the recovery of materials.
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