Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 an economic operator is any of the manufacturer, authorised representative, importer, distributor, or fulfilment service provider, or any other natural or legal person subject to obligations relating to the manufacture, preparation for re-use, repurposing, remanufacturing, or making available of batteries. Economic operators carry the compliance duties of the Regulation, including drawing up the declaration of conformity and ensuring the battery passport is created and kept up to date. The specific role determines which obligations apply.
- Manufacturer — designs or has the battery manufactured and markets it under its own name or trademark.
- Authorised representative — established in the EU, mandated in writing to act on the manufacturer’s behalf.
- Importer — established in the EU, places a battery from a third country on the EU market.
- Distributor — makes a battery available on the market without being the manufacturer or importer.
- Fulfilment service provider — handles warehousing, packing, addressing, or dispatching without owning the goods.