Overview
Every year, between 10 and 12 million vehicles in Europe reach the end of their lifespan.
Efficiently recovering their valuable raw materials is essential for protecting the environment, strengthening Europe’s resource resilience, and supporting a more circular economy.
To address this, the Regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles establishes a modern framework covering the complete lifecycle, governing everything from initial design and production to collection, dismantling, reuse, and recycling.
Background
The Regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles replaces and modernises the framework introduced by the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC), which established common EU rules on the collection and environmentally sound treatment of end-of-life vehicles, restricted the use of hazardous substances and introduced targets for reuse, recycling and recovery.
The new Regulation also replaces Directive 2005/64/EC on the type-approval of motor vehicles with regard to their reusability, recyclability and recoverability (“3R type-approval Directive”, adopted in 2005), which established basic rules on the recyclability of new vehicles as a condition for their access to the EU market.
Since these Directives were adopted, vehicles have become more complex and increasingly advanced, with more electronics, plastics, and other materials, including critical raw materials.
The new Regulation responds to these developments by introducing circularity requirements, mandatory recycled-content obligations, stronger producer responsibility, improved vehicle traceability and higher standards for dismantling and material recovery.
Together, this improves both the demand and the supply sides of recycled materials and vehicle parts.
Why do we need this law?
By current estimates, around 6 to 7 million vehicles are reported as being treated at the end of their lives. This means that many valuable materials are lost and environmental pollution can occur.
At the same time, the automotive industry is one of Europe's largest consumers of steel, aluminium, copper and plastics, while demand for critical raw materials continues to grow.
The new Regulation supports the transition to a circular automotive sector by ensuring that vehicles are designed for dismantling, repair, reuse and recycling. It strengthens collection systems, improves traceability, reinforces Extended Producer Responsibility and promotes the recovery of valuable and critical raw materials for use in new products.
Alignment with other EU policies
The Regulation is an important part of the EU's circular economy framework. Together with legislation such as the Waste Framework Directive, Batteries Regulation, Critical Raw Materials Act, it helps reduce dependence on imported raw materials, strengthens Europe's industrial resilience and supports the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and upcoming Circular Economy Act.
Legislation: Regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles
Status: In force from 13 August 2026
Application date: In application from 1 September 2028 (End-of-Life Vehicles Directive and 3R Type Approval Directive apply until then)
