The EU’s new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme requires the automotive sector to ‘design for circularity’ and ensure the free take-back and proper treatment of all end-of-life vehicles.
The EU Council has now formally adopted circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of end-of-life vehicles.
As part of the new regulations, new vehicles must be designed and produced in a way that supports their re-use, recycling and recovery.
The EU Council said the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme means producers will be made financially and organisationally responsible for the entire lifecycle of their vehicles.
The regulations also introduce circularity requirements across the entire life cycle of vehicles, from design and production to their end-of-life treatment.
After six years following entry into force of the new rules, at least 15% of plastic used to manufacture new vehicles must come from recycling, with the ultimate target of 25% recycled plastic within 10 years of the regulation entering into force.
Furthermore, a minimum of 20% of this recycled plastic must be recovered from end-of-life vehicles.
Based on a feasibility study to be finalised one year after the regulation enters into force, the European Commission must also introduce future targets for other materials, such as recycled steel, aluminium, magnesium, and critical raw materials.
The regulations also ban the export of used vehicles that are no longer roadworthy, applying to passenger cars and light commercial vans.
The EU Council says heavy-duty vehicles, motorcycles, and special-purpose vehicles will be subject to a ‘more limited set of requirements’ to ensure their proper treatment.
The regulation also aims to address the issue of ‘missing vehicles’ – vehicles that are illegally dismantled or exported – by enhancing traceability and control measures.
The new rules mean that once a vehicle meets the criteria of an end-of-life vehicle (waste), it must be treated by an authorised treatment facility and cannot be legally exported or resold as a used vehicle.