EUROBAT webinar evaluates the Batteries Regulation proposal in the presence of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU and MEPs Claudia Gamon and Maria Spyraki
Sustainable batteries will play a critical role in supporting the European Green Deal and
enabling the ‘Green Recovery’
On 11 March 2021, EUROBAT welcomed 350 participants to its webinar ‘Sustainable Batteries: a New Regulatory Framework and Market Outlook’. The event featured leading figures from EU policy-making and the European battery industry, including MEPs Claudia Gamon and Maria Spyraki, the Portuguese Presidency’s Telma Branco, Avicenne Energy’s Christophe Pillot and Tesla’s Jos Dings, alongside EUROBAT’s Marc Zoellner, Karsten Kurz and Patrick De Metz.
In the official welcome, Marc Zoellner, EUROBAT President and CEO of the Hoppecke Group, concluded that “all battery technologies will continue to be essential to the EU’s efforts to build a climate-neutral economy by 2050”.
Telma Branco (Environment Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU) mentioned that the Batteries Regulation covers all dimensions of the European Green Deal and said the Portuguese presidency is committed to making progress on it to ensure the sustainability of the European battery industry.
Christophe Pillot (CEO of Avicenne Energy) provided a market outlook on battery demand and production in the EU until 2030. He said that both lead and lithium batteries would remain the most important technologies in 2030 and that all battery technologies would be required to serve the specific requirements of a diverse set of applications and meet the energy demands of the future.
The panel discussion focused on the Green Recovery and the role of batteries play from a market perspective.
MEP Spyraki mentioned that policy-makers should listen to the views of the battery industry to ensure that the Batteries Regulation is implementable and facilitates innovative, reusable and recyclable batteries. She further emphasised the need for the EU to be a leader in green technologies and to support a sustainable battery industry that strengthens the strategic autonomy of the EU.
MEP Gamon said that batteries have a crucial role to play in the energy transition and that sustainable battery production in the EU needs to be supported, including by holding imported batteries to the same sustainability standards as those produced in Europe.
Jos Dings (European Policy & Business Development, Tesla Automotive) emphasised that the fear that batteries will not be recycled is unjustified, saying that the obligations for recycled content in the Batteries Regulation should be revisited. He added that business certainty is needed to invest in Europe and that the proposed regulation leaves too many points to secondary legislation.
Karsten Kurz (EUROBAT Chair EHS Cluster & Director Environmental Affairs, Europe, Exide Technologies) said that legislative duplication in areas such as chemicals management, where REACH already provides a robust framework, should be avoided in order to provide the European battery industry with the business certainty and stability it requires.
Patrick de Metz (EUROBAT Leader Task Force Batteries Regulation & Corporate Government & Environmental Affairs Director, Saft) concluded that the European battery industry is committed to being as sustainable as possible and that the due diligence requirements in the Batteries Regulation should be expanded.
During his concluding remarks, Marc Zoellner highlighted again that “the goal must be to create a sustainable, independent and competitive European battery industry through the Batteries Regulation”.
For more information about what the Batteries Regulation means to the European battery industry, check out our Batteries Regulation Portal, including our latest position papers: https://www.eurobat.org/batteries-regulation
Watch the webinar in full: https://youtu.be/zH-J8YHoT9E
MEDIA CONTACT: Gert Meylemans
+32 2 761 1653 / +32 475 565 6561 gmeylemans@eurobat.org
@eurobat_org https://www.eurobat.org/ linkedin.com
About EUROBAT
EUROBAT is the association for the European manufacturers automotive, industrial and energy storage batteries. EUROBAT has more than 50 members from across the continent and from the whole supply chain comprising more than 90% of the automotive and industrial battery industry in Europe. The members and staff work with all stakeholders, such as battery users, governmental organisations and media, to develop new battery solutions in areas of hybrid and electro-mobility as well as grid flexibility and renewable energy storage.
