Brussels is betting on the circular economy to boost battery production in Europe, in the context of growing competition for this key product of the energy transition with the United States and China. On Friday, Member States and Parliament agreed on new regulations to make these batteries greener and recycle them more.
With our correspondent in Brussels, Laure Broulard
According to this agreement, the carbon footprint of all batteries placed on the European market will have to be declared from July 2024. Eventually, only batteries from electric cars considered sustainable may be marketed in the European Union. Those of smartphones and electronic devices will have to be easy to remove and replace, a measure which will apply three and a half years after the entry into force of the text, which still has to be formally adopted by the Parliament and the Council.
Generate jobs
Brussels also wants at least 73% of telephone or computer batteries to be collected and recycled within seven years. The goal: to localize this industrial sector in Europe, to generate jobs and above all, to reduce the dependence of the 27 on imports of rare earths such as cobalt and lithium.
Catch up with the Chinese
Brussels therefore wishes today to catch up with China, the world leader in the sector, and the United States, which are planning massive subsidies for manufacturers as part of Joe Biden’s climate plan. The European Union is aiming for 25% of world production by 2030, compared to only 3% in 2020.
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