European Aluminium welcomes the vote of the European Parliament Envi Committee on the trilogue agreement
European Aluminium welcomes the trilogue agreement reached on the Commission’s proposal to revise the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (ELVD) and the 3R Type-Approval Directive. In light of the increasing use of aluminium in European vehicles, mainly driven by electric vehicles and lightweighting, the agreement to introduce quality requirements for aluminium recovered from end-of-life vehicles represents an important step forward. It helps align vehicle design with circular economy objectives while strengthening Europe’s access to critical raw materials.
Recognised by the EU as a critical raw material, aluminium is an indispensable and strategic material for the manufacturing of low-carbon vehicles. Lightweight, durable and infinitely recyclable without loss of quality, aluminium plays a key role in the production of electric vehicles. Its use in European cars has therefore increased significantly in recent years. Today, aluminium represents around 10% of the weight of vehicles entering recycling facilities, and this share is expected to grow further.
Given that recycling aluminium uses only around 5% of the energy required for primary production, the revised legislation is a key opportunity for Europe to make better use of what is already available and accelerate the shift towards cleaner mobility. European Aluminium particularly welcomes the introduction of well-defined quality requirements for the aluminium scrap fractions recovered from end-of-life vehicles. The initial distinction between wrought and cast aluminium, followed by further separation into four alloy families, will help safeguard material quality and enable reuse in closer recycling loops, enabling high-value applications in future vehicles [1].
This will support the automotive industry’s decarbonisation efforts and reinforce Europe’s leadership in sustainable automotive manufacturing. We appreciate the decision to maintain the ambition in addressing vehicles of unknown whereabouts and tackling their illegal treatment and export. Moreover, we view positively the introduction of the digital Circularity Vehicle Passport, which can strengthen information sharing along the value chain, as well as the alignment of timelines for feasibility studies informing the future establishment of recycled content targets for steel and aluminium.
“Vehicles are real ‘mines on wheels’ that Europe could and should make better use of to secure access to valuable raw materials, including aluminium,” said Patrik Ragnasson, Director Mobility & Strategic Projects. “Combining dismantling and quality requirements, encouraging circular design, and ensuring full traceability of vehicles from production to recycling are key building blocks to unlock the Regulation’s full circularity potential. The aluminium industry remains fully committed to sustainability and circular innovation, and we are ready to engage constructively in the next phase to ensure the ELV Regulation delivers a balanced and effective framework in support of Europe’s climate objectives.”
Source: European Aluminium
