Making the battery value chain safe and sustainable
Batteries are a key component of the European Union’s green and digital transitions. The new EU Battery Regulation aims to make the battery value chain more sustainable.
To support this goal, the JRC contributed to the preparation and negotiation of the Regulation and will continue to provide technical support for its implementation from 2024 onwards.
Among its many contributions, the JRC mapped the value chain, developed harmonised rules and standards for battery performance and safety, and created methodologies to assess sustainability, including life cycle carbon footprint and circularity.
The development of a battery industry ecosystem is essential for the EU’s strategic autonomy. The excellent collaboration between the JRC and industry has provided a solid basis for a scientific but pragmatic approach to assess the multiple new sustainability measures of the Battery Regulation.
Delivered longstanding policy support
The JRC initiated activities on batteries in 2011. This expertise has enabled the JRC to support the Commission in all stages of the policy cycle for the EU Battery Regulation, from formulation in 2020 to its adoption in 2023 and now to its full implementation.
In its neutral role as science and knowledge provider, the JRC worked closely with different policy DGs to provide technical support and building consensus on the Regulation. Claude Chanson from Recharge, the European battery industry association, explains in his quote how helpful the JRC was in bringing about a scientific but pragmatic approach for the Battery Regulation.
Monitored the value chain and technologies for recycling
The growing demand for batteries has led to an increased demand for the raw materials they require, such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and copper, which are often sourced from non-EU countries. The JRC provides material flow analyses and forecasts of supply and demand for these raw materials, particularly through its Foresight Report and Raw Materials Information System. This helps the EU to anticipate fluctuations, identify potential vulnerabilities and mitigate the risk of shortages.
The JRC also assesses battery technologies and market developments to boost EU’s competitiveness. It tracks new processes and techniques, and evaluate their environmental impacts, costs, and resource use. This knowledge is also used to estimate the potential long-term effects of the circularity provisions of the Battery Regulation.
Undertook performance and safety tests needed for standards
The Battery Regulation is the first EU legislation to adopt a life-cycle approach, addressing sourcing, manufacturing, use, and waste management in a single policy document. To support the implementation of this Regulation, the JRC performs experiments at its battery testing laboratory to evaluate battery safety and performance. This work has been essential in developing standards for the battery industry.
Boosted circularity
In 2024, the JRC published a new series of studies on circularity and battery life cycle, focusing on the collection, classification, and recycling of waste batteries, as well as the recovery rates of different materials. Further technical studies. are planned by the JRC to support the implementation of the Battery Regulation.
Maximising the sustainability of batteries, by extending their life cycle, boosting their recycling, and reducing their life cycle carbon footprint, is essential for protecting the environment and preventing possible shortages in the supply chain. This law is a key achievement of the European Green Deal, advancing the circular economy and strengthening the EU’s open strategic autonomy.