BatteryRegulation: The application of the EU Battery Regulation begins on 18 February 2024 – preparations in Finland

The application of the EU Battery Regulation, which came into effect on 17 August, will largely start after a six-month transition period in February of the next year. For requirements related to waste management and producer responsibility, there is a two-year transition period, meaning that producer responsibility systems must comply with the new requirements by August 2025. Although the regulation is applicable as it is in all member states, it also includes matters to be decided upon at the national level. The content of the Battery Regulation was discussed for the first time in Finland during our anniversary battery seminar held at the end of September, which brought together experts and producers in the field.

National implementation

In order to implement the Battery Regulation, a multidisciplinary government working group has been established in Finland, with Jouni Nissinen, a specialist from the Ministry of the Environment, serving as its chairperson. National legislation needs to be modified to align with the Battery Regulation, and any provisions in conflict with the Regulation must be repealed. Additionally, necessary regulations, such as those concerning competent authorities and sanctions, will be added to national legislation.

The working group coordinates the consultation of relevant stakeholders and provides updates on the progress of implementing the Battery Regulation. The first proposed amendment to the national waste act (in Finnish), addressing the requirements of the EU Battery Regulation regarding the approval and designation of conformity assessment bodies for batteries, is expected to be reviewed by the parliament in the near future. The progress of the implementation project can be followed on the project website (in Finnish): Akkuasetuksen toimeenpano (valtioneuvosto.fi).

Our anniversary battery seminar was a success!

In late September, we brought together battery industry experts for the first time to discuss the new requirements at our 15th-anniversary battery seminar. The seminar, held at Heureka, saw the participation of nearly 300 experts both in person and remotely. The seminar offered perspectives on the future of battery recycling from parties such as the Ministry of the Environment; the Pirkanmaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, which also acts as the supervisory authority of producer responsibility; the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment; Business Finland; battery and car importers; and reuse and recycling operators.

Johanna Alakerttula, Managing Director of Akkukierrätys Pb Oy, Juha Kenraali, Managing Director of Suomen Autokierrätys Oy, and Liisa-Marie Stenbäck, Managing Director of Recser Oy, are delighted with the success of the anniversary battery seminar. On the same day exactly 15 years ago, EU-regulated producer responsibility for batteries was implemented in Finland. At the time, Recser Oy was founded as the producer organisation of portable batteries and Akkukierrätys Pb Oy as the producer organisation of lead-based starter batteries and industrial batteries. Later on, Suomen Autokierrätys Oy joined in after being accepted as the producer organisation of traction batteries of electric vehicles in 2018.

We compiled the atmosphere and discussions from the seminar into our articles, which you can read through the links below. Be sure to check out the video interview (in Finnish) where speakers and participants share their thoughts on the new regulation. If you wish to receive the presentations from our battery seminar, please contact us at info(a)recser.fi.

The seminar received a lot of positive feedback from participants, and similar events or shorter informative sessions were requested for the future. We warmly thank all those who attended the seminar and, especially, the knowledgeable speakers for a successful day! We gathered questions from the attendees during and after the event related to the Battery Regulation to be sent to the Ministry of the Environment. Watch here what questions the battery regulation has raised elsewhere. We will provide answers in our upcoming newsletters.

Read our previous articles:

Liisa-Marie Stenbäck is the Managing Director of Recser Oy, who organise the Paristokierrätys battery collection system.

Johanna Alakerttula is the Managing Director of Akkukierrätys Pb Oy, a producer organisation in charge producer responsibility related to lead-acid accumulators.

This article is a part of the joint communications of the battery and accumulator producer organisations Recser Oy and Akkukierrätys Pb Oy concerning the EU Batteries Regulation. You can also subscribe to our newsletter (Mailchimp) to receive the latest news on the subject.