Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 — the EU Battery Regulation — replaced the 2006 Batteries Directive and governs the entire life cycle of batteries placed on the EU market, from sourcing to recycling. Its most operationally demanding requirement for manufacturers and importers is the digital battery passport.
Who it applies to
The passport obligation falls on the economic operator that places the battery on the EU market. If you import batteries into the EU, the obligation is yours — even if the cells were manufactured outside the EU. Three battery categories are in scope for the passport:
- LMT (light means of transport) batteries — e-bikes, e-scooters and similar.
- Industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh.
- Electric-vehicle (EV) batteries.
The 18 February 2027 deadline
One passport per battery
Article 77(1) requires each individual battery to have its own passport with a unique identifier. A passport that covers a model or a production lot is not compliant. This is the single most common mistake in early tooling — and it is why a passport built on a spreadsheet has to be rebuilt.
What the passport must contain
| Data area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identity | Manufacturer, model, unique identifier, place and date of manufacture |
| Technical | Chemistry, capacity, voltage, weight, expected lifetime |
| Sustainability | Carbon footprint, recycled content, hazardous substances |
| Due diligence | Supply-chain due-diligence report |
| Lifecycle | State of health, status, recycling and repurposing data |
Access tiers
Annex XIII defines who may see which fields: some data is public, some is restricted to those with a legitimate interest (repairers, recyclers), some to market-surveillance authorities, and some to the European Commission. A compliant passport enforces these tiers field by field — it does not simply publish everything.
Frequently asked
Is Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 the same as the battery passport law?
Yes. The battery passport requirement is set out in Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, principally in Article 77 and Annex XIII. It becomes mandatory on 18 February 2027.
Does the regulation apply to batteries already manufactured?
The passport requirement applies to batteries placed on the EU market from 18 February 2027, including units manufactured earlier but sold after that date.