New safety proposals that risk killing off Europe’s lead battery industry could also “inadvertently derail” a host of green energy and recycling initiatives, EU leaders have been warned.
The International Lead Association (ILA) said moves by the Swedish Chemicals Agency (SCA) to have lead metal classified as “substances of very high concern” under EU health and environmental rules— revealed by BBB last month— could ultimately result in a ban on lead used in batteries.
And the ILA has accused the agency of failing to provide a “thorough” risk analysis to backup its proposals, which “risk damaging Europe’s economic wellbeing”.
If the SCA succeeds, lead metal would fall under the EU’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulations— and its use could be regulated or prohibited by the European Commission.
However, ILA regulatory affairs director Dr Steve Binks told BBB: “Lead is already highly regulated across numerous EU regulations and directives”.
“Authorisation will only impact European manufacturing of essential products like lead batteries as it cannot be applied to imports,” Binks said. “Therefore, it will only affect our ability to create competitive and sustainable battery manufacturing in Europe supported by a full EU-based value chain— an objective recently highlighted by the vice-president for the Energy Union Maros Sefcovic.”
“Nobody is denying that lead is a toxic substance— as are many chemicals and other metals used in our everyday lives,” Binks said.
“That is why the existing legislation governing its use is so comprehensive. We urge EU member states and the Commission to consider whether REACH Authorisation is really the most proportionate action and whether it is not best to focus on targeted restrictions— and updating the EU binding workplace exposure limits that have not been reviewed for decades and no longer reflect scientific evidence or industry good practice.”
In its submission to the European Chemicals Association, to counter the SCA’s proposals, the ILA said: “The EU’s existing regulatory framework is already extremely comprehensive in managing the hazards associated with the use of lead, and is designed to ensure that risks to human health and the environment are appropriately managed. This has not been adequately recognised in the superficial risk management option analysis (RMOA) conducted by Sweden.”
“Innovative advanced lead batteries are helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions in vehicles with start-stop engines, cutting fuel consumption by up to 10%,” the ILA said. “Moreover, nearly all electric vehicles currently use lead batteries for safety systems and to power everything from airbags to air conditioning.”
“Lead batteries currently account for 75% of the global rechargeable battery market, are essential for starting nearly every vehicle on the road and are key to supporting many aspects of Europe’s social infrastructure from emergency backup power for hospitals to telecommunications and data storage.”
Lead is also a “key enabler of the circular economy and one of the ‘big five’ carrier metals at the heart of the EU’s non-ferrous metals industry”, the ILA said.
“Without lead, the EU’s position as a global leader in recycling would be undermined, as well as threatening the ability to produce a wide range of other metals including tin, zinc, silver and gold. More than 85% of lead is used in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries that are the best example that Europe has of the circular economy in action. Lead-based batteries are essential in many green technologies ranging from hybrid and electric vehicles to renewable energy storage facilities and at the end of life over 99% are collected and recycled into materials used for new batteries.”