Barriers and policy challenges in developing circularity approaches in the EU battery sector: An assessment

Using a qualitative case-study approach, we assess the barriers and policy challenges that companies in the EU battery sector face in implementing circularity. The study involves a sample of 20 companies drawn from a combination of purposeful and snowball sampling methods. Empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews. The results show that the EU's revised policy framework for batteries, high-level strategies and financial support for research projects can be enabling factors for adopting circularity approaches. At the same time, interviews reveal uncertainties about the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation on data sharing, responsibility for end-of-life (EoL) battery management and carbon footprint. Other key concerns identified are the complex cross-border movement of EoL batteries, the lack of ecodesign requirements and inconsistent waste classification frameworks. Our results suggest that the EU policy mix affecting battery circularity extends to various domains, which highlights the importance of ensuring coherence between instruments and objectives.