The European Union launches this Thursday its new framework on design, manufacturing, and management of vehicles at the end of their life cycle, which will require European manufacturers to incorporate at least 25% recycled plastic in new cars that are marketed starting in 2036. It also sets a first intermediate target of 15% in six years, along with additional requirements to simplify the disassembly, reuse, and recycling of various parts.
The regulation introduces for the first time binding quotas for the use of recycled plastic in the automotive sector and provides that the Commission will also establish specific targets for steel and aluminum starting in 2033, with the aim of increasing the use of secondary raw materials and decreasing the EU's dependence on virgin resources from abroad.
"The regulation is not just about waste, but about resilience and the industrial future of Europe," defended the Vice President of the Commission for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, who assured that the new rules will help reduce dependence on external suppliers and maintain strategic resources within the Union.
Brussels reminds that each year between 10 and 12 million vehicles reach the end of their life cycle in Europe and are considered waste, which represents an important source of materials such as steel, aluminum, copper, or plastic that the Commission wants to recover in greater proportion to reintroduce them into the European economy.
To facilitate this process, manufacturers must provide "clear and detailed" instructions on the extraction and replacement of components both during the vehicle's life cycle and at the time of its dismantling, so that parts can be recovered, reused, or recycled more easily.
More second-hand parts and greater producer responsibility
The new provisions include specific measures to promote the reuse, remanufacturing, and refurbishment of components, in order to increase the supply of second-hand parts and make the most of them before materials are allocated to recycling.
At the same time, the expanded responsibility of the producer is reinforced, which will require manufacturers to participate in the financing of the collection and treatment of vehicles when they reach the end of their useful life. This aims to incentivize, from the design phase, that cars are easier to dismantle and that their elements can be recovered more effectively.
"This goes beyond recycling: it is about ensuring access to critical materials and making our automotive sector truly circular," said the Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall.
In this line, the regulation includes concrete measures to increase the recovery of materials such as aluminum, copper, and rare earths from discarded vehicles and to promote their subsequent reuse and recycling within the European market.
From 2031 only cars suitable for circulation will be able to be exported
Another key change will be applied in mid-2031, when it will only be allowed to export vehicles "suitable for circulation" outside the EU, that is, those that pass the technical inspections required by European legislation. The intention is to prevent cars considered waste from being sent to third countries as if they were second-hand.
To this end, the regulation will tighten the traceability requirements and the criteria that differentiate a used vehicle from one that has reached the end of its useful life, in addition to strengthening controls to ensure uniform application across all member states.
The new framework progressively extends these obligations to other categories of vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and motorcycles, and replaces the European rules in force since the early 2000s on the management of end-of-life vehicles and their potential for reuse, recycling, and recovery.