The EU Council has formally adopted its negotiating position on updated regulations governing the recycling of vehicles at the end of their lifecycle. The move marks a significant stride in the bloc’s circular economy strategy, aiming to reduce resource dependency, minimise waste, and bolster the competitiveness of Europe’s automotive and recycling sectors.
What does “End‑of‑Life” car mean?
An end-of-life vehicle (ELV) is a car, van, truck, motorcycle, quadricycle, or other motor vehicle that has reached the end of its useful operating life and is sent for dismantling, recycling, or disposal. The EU’s ELV regulations mandate that such vehicles undergo processes including depollution (removal of fluids and hazardous components), systematic dismantling, and material recovery — ensuring that before final disposal, as much reusable and recyclable material as possible is reclaimed.
In the updated position, the Council clarifies the ELV definition and adds targeted exemptions—for instance, vintage cars restored for road use or culturally significant vehicles.
Mandatory Recycled Content and Broader Scope
One of the key highlights of the Council’s agreement is the introduction of compulsory recycled-plastic content targets in new vehicles. These targets ramp up over a decade:
- 15 % recycled plastics by six years after the regulation comes into force
- 20 % by year eight
- 25 % by year ten
This tiered approach ensures manufacturers have realistic timelines to meet higher circularity benchmarks. Furthermore, the regulation’s reach extends beyond passenger cars and vans to include heavy trucks, motorcycles, three-wheeled vehicles, quadricycles, and special-purpose vehicles like fire trucks and ambulances. Producers will be required to implement circularity strategies and clearly mark recyclable parts to facilitate efficient processing.
Streamlined Compliance and Strengthened Producer Responsibility
To reduce administrative burdens, manufacturers can now file their circularity strategies by vehicle category (e.g. cars, vans), rather than model-by-model. Additionally, the revised framework better aligns the digital vehicle circularity passport with other EU digital documentation schemes.
The Council also bolsters the extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime, extending it to cover recycling costs including transportation, dismantling, and disposal. This not only ensures comprehensive coverage of treatment costs but also obliges non‑EU vehicle producers to bear end-of-life costs for their vehicles sold within the European Union.
With the Council finalising its general approach, negotiations with the European Parliament will now commence. These reforms build on the European Green Deal’s circular economy ambitions, aiming to significantly reduce waste, curb reliance on imported raw materials, and embed sustainable practices across the automotive lifecycle.
