Overview
The Battery Regulation governs batteries from the materials that go into them to the moment they become waste. It is a single rulebook that ties together what a battery is made of, how it performs, how easily it can be removed and recycled, and what data must follow it through its life.
It replaces the Battery Directive 2006/66/EC. Because it is a regulation rather than a directive, it applies directly in every member state instead of being rewritten into 27 national laws. Its many requirements switch on in stages over several years.
What it requires
The regulation reaches across the whole life cycle rather than a single stage.
Substances
The regulation keeps tight limits on hazardous metals in batteries, including mercury, cadmium and lead. These caps continue and tighten the controls that existed under the old directive.
Due diligence and recycled content
For the raw materials that go into batteries, the regulation adds supply-chain due diligence, so companies must identify and address risks in how those materials are sourced. This sits alongside the EU's wider sourcing rules, such as the Conflict Minerals Regulation. It also sets minimum recycled content for key metals, pushing recovered material back into new batteries.
The battery passport
Certain batteries, such as larger industrial batteries and those in electric vehicles, must carry a battery passport. This is a Digital Product Passport holding the battery's data, from composition and carbon footprint to recycled content and performance, accessible to the people who handle the battery over its life.
Where it sits
The Battery Regulation is part of the same EU push as the ESPR, bringing durability, recycled content and the Digital Product Passport into product law. Persistent organic pollutant rules under POP can also apply to materials used in batteries.
Note: general educational information, not legal advice. Check the official source before relying on it.