On 20th May the cabinet decided on the draft for a new Batteries Act. The law is to pass the Bundestag as soon as possible and shall enter into force as of 1st January 2021.

Besides changes in the field of colletion schemes for waste portable batteries there will be a registration obligation for producers of portable, industrial and automotive batteries instead of the current report obligation   to the UBA, the Umweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency). The task of producer registration is to be performed by stiftung elektro-altgeräte register (stiftung ear), after beeing entrusted by the UBA.

A further important change concerns approval of colletion schemes for waste portable batteries. This is to be granted by stiftung ear in future also for colletion schemes that have already been approved, after a transition al period until 31st Dezember 2021 has expired. Colletion schemes that are new on the market will be granted permission as of 1st January 2021 by stiftung ear.

The new registration obligation is valid as of 1st January 2022, but only for those battery producers that have already been duly notified to the German Environment Agency. Battery producers that are new on the market and battery producers whose data are not up-to-date at the German Environment Agency must be registered at stiftung ear by 1st January 2021.

As of today and in the next weeks and months we will be informing you continuously on the current developments. You will soon also find more detailed information on the procedure of the registration process.