European Parliament Approves New Rules for Car Life Cycle

The European Parliament has approved new rules for the automotive industry covering the entire life cycle of vehicles, from design to end-of-life processing. The legislation passed with 437 votes in favor, 112 against and 20 abstentions.

Under the new rules, vehicles must be designed so that their parts can be removed and reused as easily as possible. Plastics in new car models will have to contain at least 15% recycled material within six years and 25% within 10 years.

The regulation also introduces extended producer responsibility, requiring manufacturers to cover the costs of collecting and processing end-of-life vehicles. For used cars, the rules will tighten condition inspection requirements and prohibit the export of vehicles unfit for road use.

The stated goal is to curb illegal dismantling, reduce raw material waste and promote the circular economy. The regulation still requires formal approval by the Council and will take effect 24 months after its entry into force.

(europarl, bak)