Preface
On July 28, 2023, the Official Journal of the European Union officially published the new Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and will replace the old Battery Directive 2006/66/EC. The new battery regulations came into force on August 17, 2023.
The nature of the new EU battery regulation has been changed from the previous directive to a regulation, which will improve the consistency of its implementation across EU member states. The regulation further sets out detailed requirements for the prohibition and restriction of substances, carbon footprint, cycle content, battery performance and durability, energy storage battery safety, battery labeling and information disclosure, battery compliance evaluation, quality system, supply chain due diligence, waste battery management, battery passport, etc.
Nowadays, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles, it is the general trend for domestic new energy vehicles to go overseas, and the European Union, as the world's second largest new energy vehicle market, is regarded as the preferred export destination by many manufacturers. The update of the EU battery regulations will bring huge challenges to major vehicle manufacturers and battery companies exporting to the EU.
It is understood that Fujian Province has ranked first among China's lithium battery export provinces for many years, and is the first province in China to exceed 100 billion yuan in lithium battery exports. As an internationally recognized testing, inspection and certification organization, SGS actively pays attention to regulatory developments and introduces solutions to deal with the implementation and enforcement of new regulations in a timely manner.
Fuzhou field
SGS and the Fujian Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade jointly held a special training on the impact and response methods of the new EU battery regulation on "Foreign-related Commercial Legal Services in Fujian" in Fuzhou.
SGS technical experts gave a detailed interpretation of the basic content of the EU battery regulation, the significant impact on China's battery industry, and the relevant requirements for battery manufacturers outside the EU, and guided the relevant enterprises to properly prepare for the response and ensure the compliance of export products.
At the training site, representatives from more than 60 enterprises in the battery industry and upstream and downstream industries in Fujian Province, such as CATL, Scud, and Newland, focused on the focus and conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions with the teaching experts.
Xiamen field
Jointly sponsored by SGS, Xiamen Torch High-tech Zone Industry Federation and Xiamen Torch Graphene New Material Incubator Co., Ltd., and co-organized by Xiamen New Material Industry Association, the "Impact of EU Battery Regulations and Response Methods Salon Activity" was successfully held in Torch Graphene New Material Industrial Park. More than 50 people from more than 30 related enterprises such as Haichen Energy Storage, Xiamen Xiamen Tungsten, Sanhuan Battery, and Xiamen Shun Aluminum Foil were invited to participate in the event.
SGS technical experts explained in detail the basic information of the new EU battery regulation and its significant impact on China's battery industry, helped enterprises better understand the details of the regulations, and provided practical guidance for enterprises to expand into the international market. It is mandatory for electric vehicle batteries to provide a carbon footprint statement, must comply with the requirements of the EU PEF carbon footprint rules, and must pass the audit of the EU designated certification body, which is an urgent matter for battery companies and hides huge risks.
After the sharing, representatives of upstream and downstream enterprises in the battery industry actively interacted. Jointly discuss the potential impact of the New EU Battery Law on the export of Chinese battery companies, the subsequent circulation and recycling of batteries. The atmosphere was lively, and the sharing guests actively interacted with business representatives, sorted out and answered questions and difficulties, and took the initiative to share insights on the latest developments in the industry.
The EU's new battery law has undoubtedly become a compliance challenge for Chinese battery companies, but it also provides them with opportunities for transformation and upgrading, guiding them towards a greener and more sustainable development path, and the regulatory opportunities outweigh the risks.
The training and salon activities of the new EU battery law not only provide a platform for enterprises to learn and exchange, but also lay a solid foundation for promoting the sustainable development and international cooperation of the industry. In the future, SGS will work with all parties to carry out more cooperation to help enterprises adapt to changes faster, grasp the window period, plan well, and enhance market competitiveness.
One-stop solution from SGS
In response to the latest battery regulations, SGS provides one-stop packaging services to help major vehicle manufacturers and power battery companies lay out in advance, control risks, and help enterprises go abroad.
| Compliance requirements | Regulatory Provisions | SGS services and capabilities |
| New battery regulations | (EU) 2023/1542 | ■ Analysis of regulatory requirements and implementation training |
| Prohibited and Restricted Substance Requirements | Article 6 | ■ Banned and restricted substances test for the whole battery pack ■ Battery dismantling materials ELV and REACH Annex 17 testing ■ Hazardous substance management system QC080000 certification |
| Carbon footprint | Article 7 | ■ Counseling and training related to product carbon footprint ■ Carbon footprint accounting and verification |
| Circular material requirements | Article 8 | ■ Counseling and training are required by laws and regulations ■ Circular content declaration and verification |
| Battery performance and durability | Article 10 | ■ EV battery performance and durability testing |
| Labeling and marking requirements | Article 13 | ■ Label design review |
| Battery passport | Chapter IX | ■ Battery passport information collection training, counseling and verification |
| Battery management system (Battery health and life expectancy) | Article 14 | ■ Functional verification of battery management system |
| EU Declaration of Conformity and CE marking | Article 18-20 | ■ Counseling in drafting EU declaration of conformity |
| Conformity assessment | Article 17-18 Annex VIII | ■ Training and counseling for the formulation of technical documents ■ Based on mode A - internal production control mode verification ■ Training and validation based on Mode D1 - Quality Assurance in the Production Process |
| Supply chain due diligence | Chapter VII | ■ Training and verification related to the construction of management system, risk identification and management of supply chain due diligence |
| Waste battery collection/collection rate and recycling efficiency | Article 61及Article 71 | ■ Calculation and verification of resource utilization efficiency and material recovery efficiency of waste batteries |
| Recycle and reuse preparation | Article 73 | ■ Evaluation of the residual value of used batteries ■ On-line monitoring system for echelon battery operation status |