The Slovenian EU Presidency must focus on creating a legislative framework which combines sustainability and competitiveness

Our company TAB d.d. (TAB Tovarna Akumulatorskih Baterij D.D.) is a manufacturer of automotive and industrial batteries with factories in Črna na Koroškem and Žerjav (both in Slovenia) as well as in the Republic of Northern Macedonia. TAB was established more than 50 years ago and employs more than 1,500 workers.

One key challenge for the Slovenian EU Presidency in the next six months will be to continue the work on the new Batteries Regulation. Manufacturers, such as TAB, produce batteries of various technologies, e.g. lead- and lithium-based batteries, for various applications, e.g. automotive, traction, stationary storage. The role of the new Batteries Regulation will be to balance various aspects of all these technologies and applications – finding the right balance will be the task of the EU institutions.

Environment Ministers debated the proposal on the Batteries Regulation on 10 June. As a battery industry leader, we would like to underline three points:

1. We first need the methodologies in the new Batteries Regulation before we set the targets;
2. We need to have proper impact assessments on recycled content and ambitious ‎yet feasible recycling targets;
3. We ask that there be no double regulation on hazardous substance management in the Batteries Regulation as REACH and the occupational health & safety framework already exist.

In addition to the new Batteries Regulation, the EU institutions will further work on the preparation of other key policy initiatives of the Green Deal in the next 6 months, such as the new Waste Shipment Regulations, the revision of the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, and REACH 2.0.

These pieces of legislation will define the framework in which our industry operates. We have and are contributing to the preparation of these files. We need a coherent and comprehensive regulatory framework on sustainability, chemical policy and competitiveness. What does this mean in practice? We need to be able to ship end-of-life batteries from outside Europe back to high-standard recycling facilities in Europe, and we need to have alignment on chemicals policy between the lex generalis and the lex specialis. The EU needs to recognise that all battery technologies have a place in the 100% renewable future for Europe.

There is a critical need for the Slovenian Presidency to ensure we do not lose our focus: to create a legislative framework which combines sustainability and competitiveness.

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Slovensko predsedovanje EU se mora osredotočiti na pripravo zakonodajnega okvira, ki združuje trajnost in konkurenčnost

1. julija 2021 bo Slovenija drugič po letu 2007 prevzela predsedovanje Svetu EU. Slovensko predsedovanje EU bo imelo ključno vlogo pri novi Uredbi o ravnanju z baterijami in drugih politikah v okviru Zelenega dogovora.

Avtor: Bogomir Auprih, direktor TAB d.d.

Naše podjetje TAB d.d. (TAB Tovarna Akumulatorskih Baterij D.D.) je proizvajalec avtomobilskih in industrijskih baterij s tovarnama v Črni na Koroškem in Žerjavu (obe sta v Sloveniji) ter v Severni Makedoniji. TAB je bil ustanovljen pred več kot 50 leti ter zaposluje več kot 1500 delavcev.

Eden glavnih izzivov za slovensko predsedovanje EU v naslednjih šestih mesecih bo nadaljevanje dela pri pripravi nove Uredbe o ravnanju z baterijami. Proizvajalci, kot je TAB, izdelujejo baterije različnih tehnologij, recimo svinčene in litijeve baterije za različno uporabo, na primer avtomobilske, trakcijske, za stacionarno shranjevanje. Naloga nove direktive o baterijah bo uravnovesiti različne vidike vseh teh tehnologij in uporabe – najti pravo ravnovesje bo naloga institucij EU.

Okoljski ministri so 10. junija razpravljali o predlogu Uredbe o ravnanju z baterijami. Kot vodilno podjetje v industriji baterij želimo izpostaviti tri točke:

1. Nova Uredba o ravnanju z baterijami mora najprej vsebovati metodologije, šele nato lahko določimo cilje;
2. Potrebujemo ustrezne ocene učinka glede reciklirane vsebine in ambiciozne, toda izvedljive cilje reciklaže;
3. Pričakujemo, da v Uredbi o ravnanju z baterijami ne bo dvojne ureditve ravnanja z nevarnimi snovmi, saj že obstajata REACH in okvir za zdravje in varnost pri delu.

Poleg nove Uredbe o ravnanju z baterijami bodo institucije EU v naslednjih 6 mesecih nadaljevale s pripravo drugih ključnih pobud za politike v okviru Zelenega dogovora, kot so nova Uredba o pošiljkah odpadkov, revizija direktive o izrabljenih vozilih in REACH 2.0.

Ti zakonodajni akti bodo opredelili okvir, v katerem deluje naša industrija. Tako kot v preteklosti tudi sedaj prispevamo k pripravi teh politik. Potrebujemo koherenten in celovit okvir glede trajnosti, kemijske politike in konkurenčnosti. Kaj to pomeni v praksi? Izrabljene baterije z območij izven Evrope moramo biti zmožni pošiljati nazaj v evropske reciklažne obrate z visokim standardom, potrebujemo pa tudi uskladitev kemijskih politik med splošno in specialno zakonodajo. EU mora spoznati, da vse tehnologije baterij spadajo v 100-odstotno obnovljivo evropsko prihodnost.

Ključnega pomena je, da slovensko predsedovanje pomaga ohraniti fokus: pripraviti je treba zakonodajni okvir, ki združuje trajnost in konkurenčnost.

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