The European Commission announced that the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation will enter into force on 13 August. The regulation revises rules concerning vehicle design, production, collection, and end-of-life processing.
The new regulatory framework is designed to increase recycling within the automotive sector and reduce external dependence on critical raw materials. It aims to improve the environmental performance of vehicles throughout their life cycle by increasing the recovery and reuse of valuable materials and using resources more efficiently.
The regulation encourages the design of vehicles to facilitate the dismantling process, the reuse of parts, and the recycling of materials. Additionally, the rules introduce mandatory targets for the use of recycled materials during vehicle production.
Minimum required recycled plastic content in new vehicles starting from 2032.
Plastic requirements will scale over time, with the mandate increasing to at least 25% of plastics used in new vehicles starting in 2036. The European Commission also plans to set recycled content targets for steel and aluminium, intended to apply from 2033.
Collection, traceability, and exports
The new rules will tighten requirements for the collection and monitoring of vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life. To improve vehicle traceability, clearer criteria will be applied to distinguish second-hand vehicles from end-of-life vehicles.
Measures are included to recover more critical raw materials from end-of-life vehicles, specifically focusing on aluminium, copper, and rare earth elements. Under an extended producer responsibility system, car manufacturers will contribute to the costs of collecting and processing the vehicles they place on the market once they reach the end of their life.
Starting from mid-2031, only vehicles that are fit for road use will be allowed to be exported outside the EU. This measure is intended to prevent scrap vehicles from being sent to third countries under the guise of second-hand vehicles.
In Europe, between 10 and 12 million vehicles reach the end of their life and are treated as waste every year.
