The battery market is currently dominated by Asia, but the EU hopes that new laws setting strict green criteria for batteries sold in Europe will boost domestic production and help the continent to stake its place as a global leader.
The rise of electric mobility and an ever-greater reliance on handheld devices has made the battery market one of the world’s most strategic.
In this special report, EURACTIV looks at Europe’s push for sustainable, ethically produced batteries, and how the raw materials needed to power these batteries can be sourced responsibly.
-
EU aims to dethrone Asia as world’s battery powerhouse
Brussels plans to wrest the title of global electric vehicle battery leader from Asia by supercharging Europe’s battery production and imposing strict green criteria that will make European products the de facto global standard.
-
Simona Bonafè MEP: Recovery of raw materials is cornerstone of EU battery law
The European Commission has proposed new standards which would make batteries produced and sold in Europe the greenest in the world. MEP Simona Bonafè spoke to EURACTIV about the EU's battery regulation and the future of battery production in Europe.
-
Mining industry warns against Europe’s drive for raw material ‘autonomy’
Relying solely on raw materials sourced within Europe could incentivise the use of cheaper, non-recyclable batteries, increasing the need to mine virgin materials to power electric vehicles, industry has said.
-
Industry anxious about mandatory recycling targets in EU battery law
Requiring companies to use recycled metals in new electric vehicle batteries is necessary to prevent manufacturers from opting for cheaper, freshly mined virgin materials, the EU says. Still, the automotive sector, battery makers and the mining industry are all anxious about the upcoming EU battery regulation.
-
Sustainable sourcing of battery raw materials
EV batteries are critical to achieving the EU´s climate change targets. Europe has therefore set itself the ambitious goal of establishing - within a very short time frame - a complete and competitive electric vehicle battery value chain.