10 PROPOSALS FOR EFFECTIVE HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL OBLIGATIONS
The Civil Society Working Group on Raw Materials welcomes the European Commission's draft Battery Regulation presented in December 2020. The proposed legislation introduces mandatory requirements for all batteries marketed in the EU (equipment, vehicle, electric vehicle and industrial batteries) as well as end-of-life recycling, collection, treatment and recycling targets.
An essential element of the proposed Regulation is the introduction of a due diligence system. This is to ensure that there are no human rights violations or environmental damage in the production of batteries or in the extraction of the required materials. The obligation for economic operators in the battery industry to implement human rights and environmental due diligence is to be welcomed. However, the legislative proposal has several shortcomings that could seriously jeopardise the effectiveness of the proposed due diligence regime.
The signatory organisations therefore recommend 10 measures to address the shortcomings in the due diligence regime of the proposed Battery Regulation. The aim is to ensure the effectiveness of the Regulation and to protect human rights and the environment.
Picture: unsplash/Guillaume Perigois
