The EU Battery Booster Strategy: What It Means for Battery Recycling in Europe

The European Commission presented an automotive package last December aimed at supporting the sector. Alongside the revision of CO₂ standards for cars and vans, simplification measures, and a proposal on greening corporate fleets, the Commission introduced the Battery Booster Strategy (a non-legislative document).

This initiative aims to strengthen the European battery value chain, considered strategic for the EU’s competitiveness and for achieving its climate goals. The objective is clear: support the production of cells in Europe, secure access to critical raw materials, and foster innovation in next-generation technologies.

The strategy is built around six main pillars:

1. Supporting the ramp-up of EU manufacturers through financial backing.

2. Developing a resilient upstream value chain for access to raw materials and inputs.

3. Ensuring value-added investments and a level playing field in the EU industry.

4. Supporting ‘Made in EU’ offtakes, boosting resilience and sustainability.

5. Promoting research, innovation, and skills development for the EU battery value chain.

6. Coordinating actions to maximize impact across Europe.

It includes notably a support to cell production with the creation of a Battery Booster Facility and the introduction of a local content in the public market and support schemes in the Industrial Accelerator Act.

On R&D, the initiative intends to specifically support the development of new battery concepts, materials, and cell manufacturing technologies through Horizon Europe 2026-2027 work program and seeks to better align Member State R&I programmes with European R&I initiatives. Recycling is also strongly mentioned.

On recycling, the Commission recalls that there is a “critical need to recover lithium, cobalt and nickel from black mass within the EU” and that “substantial investments in battery recycling facilities and ramping up financial support for battery recycling”. It emphasizes the entry into force in December 2025 of the classification of black mass as hazardous waste and that the “Commission will work to implement this ban effectively, with no circumvention, and if needed it will present additional measures to further restrict exports of black mass”.

The Battery Booster Strategy comes at a time of global overcapacity and heightened competition, notably from Asia. With this initiative, the Commission demonstrates a clear ambition: to secure a key sector of the energy transition and preserve the competitiveness of the European automotive industry.