From digital product passports to carbon footprints, what does EU regulation (EU) 2023/1542 mean for the battery industry?

The new regulation introduced applies from February 2024 and covers batteries placed on the market or in service in the European Union. Part of an expanded sustainable products framework, it sits within the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), providing specific legislation for various battery types.

The first battery type to be affected by the legislation is EV (electric vehicle) batteries, with the delegated act for carbon footprint declaration set to be issued by 18th February 2024, with the deadline for compliance set at 18th February 2025. Other battery types will follow with their own delegated/implementing acts and deadlines for compliance.

What does the EU battery regulation cover?

• Sustainability
• Safety
• Labelling, marking, information and reporting – including marking, QR codes and DPP
• Extended producer responsibility
• Collection and treatment (including recycling) of waste batteries
• Performance and durability

Who does the EU Battery Regulation apply to?

The EU Battery regulation impacts actors across the supply chain, including producers, importers, distributors and of course, manufacturers.

How do I comply with EU battery regulations?

Companies wishing to comply with EU battery regulations must make certain information available to the public, the European Commission and waste management providers.

From February 2027, in addition to CE Marking, all batteries must be marked with a QR code. For LMT, Industrial (>2kW) and EV batteries, these must be linked to a digital Battery Passport. It is the responsibility of the economic operator placing the battery on the EU market to ensure that the battery passport is created.

What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?

Batteries aren’t the only products that will require a passport of information to enter the EU market. The battery passport is a type of Digital Product Passport, which will be required for specific products in industries such as construction and textiles.

What are the carbon footprint declaration requirements for batteries?

EV batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, and LMT batteries must have a carbon footprint declaration for each model per manufacturing plant to comply with EU Regulations. This applies to EV batteries in February 2025, with a staggered approach for other types of batteries over a number of years. The declaration must contain:

• administrative information about the manufacturer.
• information about the battery model.
• information about the geographic location of the battery manufacturing plant.
• the carbon footprint of the battery, calculated as kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per one kWh of the total energy provided by the battery over its expected service life.
• the carbon footprint of the battery is differentiated according to the life cycle stage as described in point 4 of Annex II.
• the identification number of the EU declaration of conformity of the battery.
• a web link giving access.

BSI specialise in helping organizations to and can help the battery industry to prove compliance against the EU battery regulation, in relation to both their CE marking and carbon footprint declaration.