Relevant regulations for imported batteries from the UK
Battery products entering the EU market must comply with the EU Battery Directive; batteries in electronic and electrical devices must comply with the recycling requirements of the WEEE Directive and the hazardous substance limits of the RoHS Directive. Furthermore, they must comply with the REACH Regulation concerning battery registration, hazardous chemicals, and other related regulations. There are no mandatory regulatory requirements for battery performance and safety; the main guidelines are EU standards for battery performance and safety.
In order to reduce the production of hazardous batteries and accumulators, increase the recycling, processing and remanufacturing rate of used batteries and accumulators, and increase the amount of battery and accumulator waste collected and recycled, the European Union adopted the new Battery Directive 2006/66/EC in 2006, requiring all member states to transpose the new Battery Directive into their local regulations by September 26, 2008.
The new directive covers all types of batteries (except batteries used in Member States' security and military equipment and batteries for space use), and its contents are as follows:
1. Batteries with a mercury content exceeding 0.0005% are prohibited (except for button batteries with a mercury content exceeding 2%); portable batteries and rechargeable batteries with a cadmium content exceeding 0.002% are prohibited (except for batteries used in alarm systems, medical devices, and cordless power tools).
2. All discarded batteries on the market must be recycled. The recycling rate should be at least 45% by September 2011.
3. The battery reuse rate should meet the following targets in 2011: at least 65% for lead-acid batteries and accumulators, at least 75% for nickel-cadmium batteries and accumulators, and at least 50% for other batteries and accumulators.
4. End users shall be informed through the following means:
a) via written statement regarding the potential environmental and human health impacts of substances in the battery or accumulator, and the collection and recycling of waste batteries.
b) directly at the point of sale.
c) Identifiable markings on the battery shall include the following information: recycling symbol, battery or accumulator capacity, and chemical symbols Hg, Cd, and Pb (if the content of mercury, cadmium, and lead exceeds 0.0005%, 0.002%, and 0.004%, respectively).
5. Battery manufacturers (including every manufacturer that sells batteries in Member State markets) must bear the costs of recycling and disposal. If a battery is contained within an electronic product, that manufacturer is also considered a "battery manufacturer." Battery manufacturers must register in the EU Member States where they sell their batteries.
–Source: Bureau of International Trade
