Batteries Directive

EU legislation on batteries applies to companies selling and providing batteries in the EU.
 
The EU Batteries Directive is put into national law at national level. When exporting to Europe, it is essential to comply with national law in each relevant country. The EU law simply serves as a template for national laws, which may differ considerably.

For the latest Batteries Directive implementation information in the UK, please visit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/ENVIRONMENT/waste/topics/batteries/.

Detailed information on the Batteries Directive is available on the website of the U.S. Commercial Service European Union Office: http://www.buyusa.gov/europeanunion/batteries.html

Update on REACH and CLP -- What is CLP?

The EU recently adopted a new Regulation on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures (the CLP regulation), which will have implications for all supply chains exporting to Europe.

The CLP regulation will require companies to classify, label and package chemical substances and mixtures according to new rules, in addition to notifying the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) of their classification. The new act will complement the REACH Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals.

For detailed information, please visit the new CLP section of the Commercial Service European Union (CSEU) website.

Update on "Metrics" - Units of Measure Directive

Units of Measurement: On December 16, 2008, the European Parliament (EP) voted in favor of adoption of the common position which amends the existing "metrics only" legislation (80/181/EEC). The amendment indefinitely extends the use of supplementary units of measurement, such as pounds and inches. By granting this extension, the Commission, Council and EP are effectively removing a barrier to trade which would have seriously hampered transatlantic trade as of January 1, 2010, when the units of measurement directive was supposed to enter into force. With the adoption of the common position by the Council and the European Parliament in second reading, years of lobbying by industry and government have reached a successful conclusion. Expectations are that of the adopted directive amending 80/181/EEC will be published in the Official Journal in April 2009 following formal notification of the Council/Coreper.  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0785:FIN:EN:PDF

For further information on EU issues and updates, please visit the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Mission to the EU: http://www.buyusa.gov/europeanunion/