Proposal for a Regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles, amending Regulations (EU) 2018/858 and 2019/1020 and repealing Directives 2000/53/EC and 2005/64/EC

Summary:

Legislative initiative tabled by the European Commission on 13 July 2023, concerning the circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). It seeks to introduce amendments to Regulation (EU) 2018/858 and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020. It also seeks to repeal Directive 2000/53/EC and Directive 2005/64/EC. This is a text with EEA relevance.

Further information:

The European Green Deal was adopted in 2019 to embed climate action and environmental targets across all policy areas. Among others, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the New Industrial Strategy for Europe laid out the roadmap for industries to implement the objectives of that umbrella vision. The commitments comprised a review of the existing legislation on ELVs.

Directive 2000/53/EC - also known as ELV Directive - was the first EU-wide framework designed to ensure that vehicles reaching the end of their life and considered as waste are treated in an environmentally sound manner. It set out provisions on the collection and depollution of ELVs, it restricted hazardous substances in new vehicles and set targets on reuse and recycling, and on reuse and recovery. Since its adoption, the legislation has not been substantially amended. Directive 2005/64/EC - also known as the 3R type-approval (3RTA) Directive - established a very close link between the provisions of the ELV Directive and the design provisions on reusability, recyclability and recoverability of the type-approval process for vehicle types.

The proposed Regulation repeals both Directives and replaces them with a single legal instrument. Its overall objective is to modernise the existing framework and to improve the functioning of the European Union's (EU) single market while reducing the negative environmental impacts linked to the design, production, service life and end-of-life treatment of vehicles and contributing to the sustainability of the automotive and recycling sectors.

The draft law was adopted by the European Commission on 13 July 2023.

Official

EUR-LEX: SWD(2023)255: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Subsidiarity Grid https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2023:255:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2023)256: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2023:256:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2023)257: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2023:257:FIN

European Commission: Environment: Waste and Recycling: End-of-Life Vehicles https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/end-life-vehicles_en

European Commission: Press Release, 13/07/2023: Circular economy: improving design and end-of-life management of cars for more resource-efficient automotive sector https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_3819

European Commission: Questions and Answers: End-of-Life vehicles (13 July 2023) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_23_3820

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Commentary and Analysis

Transport & Environment, 06/07/2023: How the EU’s car scrapyard law can bring clean steel and aluminium to Europe https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/how-the-eus-car-scrapyard-law-can-bring-clean-steel-and-aluminium-to-europe/

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA): Press Release, 13/07/2023: End-of-life vehicles: EU must balance conflicting waste, product, and chemical objectives https://www.acea.auto/press-release/end-of-life-vehicles-eu-must-balance-conflicting-waste-product-and-chemical-objectives/

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