The rapporteur and S&D vice-president, Simona Bonafè:
“We use batteries every day in our daily lives to communicate, to move or to store renewable energy. However, we need sustainable batteries for the environment, as well as for human rights.
“For the first time, we have put in place new rules that will cover the full life cycle of batteries, from design and production to reuse and recycling.
“As Progressives, we are proud of having achieved three crucial objectives: the strengthening of sustainability through common rules concerning products, processes, waste batteries and recyclates; the promotion of a circular economy; and the reduction of environmental and social impacts throughout all stages of a battery’s life cycle.
“We also managed to extend the compulsory due diligence requirements to the whole value chain of all types of batteries so that we prevent the exploitation of the environment and labour forces.
“This is the future we want where batteries will enlighten a more efficient, fair and sustainable world.”
