Wheels of Change: Commission’s Progressive New Regulation for End-of-Life Vehicles 

The European Commission believes that the European Green Deal will improve the quality of health and life of individual citizens and future generations. They also have a strong vision that this will transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy. As part of this, many EU waste policies will be reviewed periodically. In addition to protecting the environment and human health, the EU waste policy also helps the EU’s transition to a circular economy. 

This transition will create sustainable growth and reduce the consumption of natural resources. On July 13, following a review, EC proposed a new ELV Regulation by replacing the existing directives (Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles and Directive 2005/64/EC on the type-approval of motor vehicles regarding their reusability, recyclability, and recoverability.) 

This new regulation will improve the quality of end-of-life treatment, incentivize reuse, and make the most efficient use of precious resources. Also, it covers the entire cycle from design and production to end-of-life treatment. 

Some of the objectives are as below:

• 1. Circular Design – make design and production circular. 

• • Car makers need to give detailed instructions to replace and remove parts and
  components.
• • Mandatory declaration on recycled content of plastics, steel, and aluminum.
• • Vehicles must come with a digital Circularity Vehicle Passport 

• 2. Use recycled content – increase the recycled content in new vehicles. 

• • New vehicles should include at least 25% recycled plastics. 
• • Which 25% must be recycled from end-of-life vehicles 

• 3. Collect more and smarter – collect more ELVs in the EU and improve the quality of exported used vehicles.   

• • Clearer distinction between old and end-of-life vehicles 
• • Ban on exporting vehicles that aren’t roadworthy.   
• • Improve the information in national vehicle registries and make them interoperable.   

• 4. Treat better – improve the treatment of ELVs. 

• • 30% of plastics must be recycled. 
• Ban on mixed shredding of ELVs with other waste  
• • Mandatory removal of valuable parts, components, and materials   

• 5. Make producers responsible – better governance, better cooperation, more circularity.

• • Improve waste treatment through extended producer responsibility schemes. 
• • Provide the right incentives to increase the collection of ELVs.   

• 6. Cover more vehicles – Extend the scope of the legislation to additional vehicle categories. 

• • All lorries, buses, and motorcycles will be treated at authorized facilities.
• • Only roadworthy heavy-duty vehicles may be exported.   

Short-term: Efforts are needed to increase the amounts of recycled plastics and improve the treatment of vehicles at the end of their life as part of extended producer responsibility. 

Medium to long-term: It will generate energy savings at the manufacturing stage, and reduce dependency on raw materials, whilst ensuring that the transition to zero-emission mobility is sustainable and circular. 

References:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:8e016dde-215c-11ee-94cb-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/end-life-vehicles_en