Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 replaced the Batteries Directive 2006/66/EC with a single regulation covering the whole life cycle of a battery. Article 1 describes its scope: requirements on sustainability, safety, labelling, marking and information for placing batteries on the market or putting them into service; battery due diligence obligations for economic operators; and minimum requirements for extended producer responsibility, the collection and treatment of waste batteries and reporting. It applies to all categories of batteries, portable, SLI, light means of transport (LMT), electric vehicle and industrial batteries, whether sold separately or incorporated into products.
Chapter II contains the product requirements that phase in over several years: restrictions on substances, a carbon footprint declaration for electric vehicle, LMT and rechargeable industrial batteries, minimum recycled content, performance and durability requirements, removability and replaceability of portable and LMT batteries by end users (Article 11, from 18 February 2027) and safety of stationary storage systems. Chapter III covers labelling and marking, including a QR code on all batteries from 18 February 2027, and Chapters IV and V make batteries subject to conformity assessment (modules A, D1 or G, the latter two involving a notified body), the EU declaration of conformity and CE marking. Chapter VII imposes supply-chain due diligence on economic operators with a net turnover of EUR 40 million or more; Regulation (EU) 2025/1561 postponed those obligations to 18 August 2027. Chapter VIII organises producer registration, extended producer responsibility and collection targets, and Chapter IX introduces the battery passport.
The regulation entered into force on 17 August 2023 and applies from 18 February 2024, with Chapter VIII on waste batteries applying from 18 August 2025, the date on which Directive 2006/66/EC was repealed (Article 96). For a manufacturer or importer of products containing batteries this means documentation per battery model, producer registration in every Member State of sale and design for replaceability.