During a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, proposals were accepted on new EU circularity rules to cover the entire vehicle lifecycle, from design to final end-of-life treatment.

Some of the key points from the accepted text:

• All L-class vehicles (motorcycles, mopeds, tricycles, and certain quads) will be included in the regulation. Only power-assisted bicycles (L1e-B) and small series powered two-wheelers are excluded.
• Vehicles of historical interest, their parts, and spare parts are excluded.
• A new category, “Vehicles of special cultural interest,” has been added to the exclusions.
  • The competent authority of the Member State where the fleet unit is registered may recognize the vehicle as culturally significant if all the following conditions are met:
  • Either the owner or the competent authority of the registration Member State has documented the vehicle’s unique historical or cultural value or status, or the vehicle is a single modified or custom-made vehicle;
  • The vehicle owner is known and identifiable;
  • The vehicle can be identified by the VIN, serial number, or other official identifier provided by the manufacturer or the competent authority.
• The vehicle owner has the right to decide when the vehicle becomes an ELV vehicle.
• There are restrictions for used component sales, but these are for economic operators, not for private persons anymore. A new requirement: Prove that the parts and components were sourced from an authorized economic operator.
• Restrictions on the sale or transfer of vehicles between private individuals have been lifted. Article 37, which concerned ownership changes, has been amended to concern export. For vehicle export, the requirement for roadworthiness has been removed. The only requirement for export is that the vehicle is not an end-of-life vehicle.

The regulation will come into force 12 months after its publication. For L-class vehicles, there will be an additional 60 months after the regulation comes into force.

Background
The draft measures, backed by 431 MEPs with 145 against and 76 abstentions, aim to boost the automotive sector’s transition to a circular economy by reducing the environmental impact linked to the production and end-of-life treatment of vehicles, and strengthening the sustainability of the car recycling industry in Europe. Specific rules will apply to all vehicles except for special-purpose vehicles, vehicles designed and built for use by the armed forces, civil defence, fire and emergency medical services, and vehicles of historical and special cultural interest. New vehicles should be designed so as to allow the easy removal of as many parts and components as possible by authorised treatment facilities, with a view to their replacement, reuse, recycling, remanufacturing or refurbishing, where technically possible.

MEPs want the plastic used in each new vehicle type to contain a minimum 20% of recycled plastic within six years of the rules’ entry into force. They also want manufacturers to meet a target of at least 25% within 10 years of entry into force, if enough recycled plastic is available at non-excessive prices. They also want the Commission to introduce targets for recycled steel and aluminium and its alloys, following a feasibility study.

Three years after the entry into force of the new rules, manufacturers would have extended producer responsibility, i.e., they would have to cover the cost of the collection and treatment of vehicles that have reached their end-of-life stage. MEPs want a better distinction between used vehicles and end-of-life vehicles, with an export ban for those that are considered end-of-life vehicles.

Co-rapporteurs Jens Gieseke (EPP, DE), of the Environment committee, and Paulius Saudargas (EPP, LT), of the Internal Market committee, said: “Parliament supports the circular economy in the automotive sector. We are advancing resource security, protecting the environment, and ensuring sustainability. To avoid overburdening the industry, we secured realistic targets, and ensured less red tape and fair competition.”

Next steps: as Council already adopted its position earlier this summer, interinstitutional negotiations are expected to start without delay.

Written by Jari Kielinen & Wim Taal

Source: European Parliament

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