Report on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission pursuant to Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators

Directive 2006/66/EC (the Batteries Directive) lays down rules to minimise the negative impact of batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators on the environment, thus contributing to the protection, preservation and improvement of the quality of the environment. It also provides for measures to harmonise requirements concerning the heavy metal content and labelling of batteries and accumulators.

Article 23(a) of the Directive empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts, for a period of five years from 30 December 2013, with a view to (i) laying down criteria for the assessment of equivalent conditions for the recycling of waste batteries taking place outside of the EU; (ii) laying down detailed rules as regards capacity labelling of portable and automotive batteries; and (iii) granting exemptions from the labelling requirements.

The Commission did not make use of the delegated power referred to in Article 23a of the Batteries Directive during the period covered by this report.