Today is an important day: the Commission adopted the new regulation on batteries and waste batteries. 

Batteries will be a key sector for the coming years. As the European Green Deal moves forward, batteries will be essential for accelerating the transition in the transport and energy sectors. Global demand for batteries is set to increase 14-fold by 2030 and the EU could account for 17% of that demand.

This will require using not only valuable, but in some cases also critical and hazardous, raw materials -  therefore their sustainability cannot lag behind. It should be ensured that the EU's climate neutrality and zero pollution ambition is powered by sustainable green batteries. Making sustainable products the norm is also a central objective of the Circular Economy Agenda. 

This proposal represents a new type of policy making that takes an integrated and inclusive approach when it comes to sustainability. It addresses social, economic and environmental issues at the same time, which is a blueprint for sustainability policies. 

For more information, please consult:

• Press release - Green Deal: Sustainable batteries for a circular and climate neutral economy
• Q&A on Sustainable Batteries proposal
• Factsheet
• Proposal for a Regulation on batteries and waste batteries