Report on the implementation and the impact on the environment and the functioning of the internal market of Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators

Summary:

Report presented on 9 April 2019 by the European Commission on the implementation of Directive 2006/66/EC (the Batteries Directive).

Further information:

Directive 2006/66/EC is the only piece of EU legislation entirely dedicated to batteries. The Directive aims to minimise the negative impact of batteries and waste batteries on the environment, to help protect, preserve and improve the quality of the environment. It also aims to ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market.

Article 23 of the Directive tasks the Commission with preparing a report on its implementation and its impact on the environment and the functioning of the internal market. This is the Commission’s second report on the Directive. The first report was published in February 2017.

In the report, the Commission includes an evaluation on some specific aspects of the Directive, in particular:

• the appropriateness of further risk management measures for batteries containing heavy metals;
• the appropriateness of the minimum collection targets for all waste portable batteries;
• the possible introduction of further targets; and
• the appropriateness of recycling efficiency levels set by the Directive.