Proposed Regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles
date: 16/10/2023
The Regulation will enhance the circularity of the automotive sector, covering the design, production and end-of-life treatment of vehicles.
This initiative will improve access to resources for the EU's economy, contribute to the EU's environmental and climate objectives, while reinforcing the single market and contributing to address the challenges associated with the ongoing transformation of the automotive industry. Moreover, it will contribute to better road safety in third countries by preventing the export of non-roadworthy vehicles and reducing harmful pollution and health risks in countries importing used vehicles from the EU. The implementation of the Regulation is expected to lead to long-term energy savings at the manufacturing stage, reduced dependency on imported raw materials, increased recovery of critical raw materials, and, generally, the promotion of sustainable and circular business models.
The proposed Regulation merges the rules on the treatment of end-of-life-vehicles and the rules for the type-approval of motor vehicles about their reusability, recyclability and recoverability. It focuses on several key elements to improve quality in design, collection, and recycling, while facilitating reporting obligations:
- Design circular: Enhancing circularity in the design and production of vehicles will help to ensure these can be easily dismantled. Car makers will need to provide clear, detailed instructions for dismantlers on how to replace and remove parts and components during use and end-of-life stage of a vehicle.
- Use recycled content: 25 % of the plastic used to build a new vehicle will be required to come from recycling, of which 25 % must be recycled from end-of-life vehicles.
- Treat Better: The measures will lead to recovering more and better-quality raw materials, including critical raw materials, plastics, steel and aluminium. 30 % of plastics from end-of-life vehicles should be recycled. Additional measures will support the market for reuse, remanufacturing and refurbishment of parts and components of a vehicle. Member States are encouraged to provide incentives to garages and repair shops to support the sale of spare parts.
- Improve governance: The new rules will reinforce producer responsibility by establishing national Extended Producer Responsibility schemes under uniform requirements. These schemes will aim to provide proper financing for mandatory waste treatment operations, incentivise recyclers in improving quality of recycled materials from end-of-life vehicles, thus fostering enhanced cooperation between treatment operators and manufacturers.
- Collect more and smarter: To put a stop to vehicles disappearing, the proposal foresees better enforcement of the current rules and increases transparency. This means more inspections, digital tracking of end-of-life vehicles across the EU, better separation of old cars from end-of-life cars, more fines for infringements, and a ban on exporting used vehicles that are not roadworthy.
- Cover more vehicles: The scope of these measures will be gradually expanded to include new categories such as motorcycles, lorries, and buses, ensuring a more comprehensive coverage.