German government releases draft revision of the battery law

The German government has released a new draft for the planned amendment of the battery law. The aim of the amendment is to reform the collection of portable batteries and adapt it to changed market conditions.

The most important measure is the abolition of the “joint” take-back scheme, whose special statutory role in recent years has led to many problems and distortions of competition on the battery take-back market. In future, all take-back schemes are set to have the same legal rights and obligations. Landbell Group company, European Recycling Platform (ERP) welcomes this measure as it would create a truly level playing field between the competing schemes.

However, a number of open questions still remain in the draft, which will have to be clarified in further negotiations. In particular, the planned calculation method for the collection rate seems to counteract the objective of fair competition, as it would systematically favour newly established take-back schemes.

The first key points for the amendment of the battery law were presented in the summer of 2018. However, these points still provided for the retention of the joint take-back scheme, which had meanwhile stopped its activities and re-entered the market as a producer compliance scheme in January 2020. The draft legislation now presented still has to be finally adopted by the Federal Cabinet, before it goes to the Bundestag for further discussion. ERP has already issued an official statement and will continue to engage in the upcoming legislative process.