EU Council and Parliament: motorcycles must be part of new EU rules on recycling

EU Council and Parliament strike a deal on the rules for vehicle circularity and the management of end-of-life vehicles.

The Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives reached a provisional agreement on the regulation concerning circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). The new rules will replace the two existing directives and set requirements to ensure that new vehicles are designed in a way that supports their re-use, recycling and recovery.

The new regulation is part of the European Green Deal and the circular economy action plan, aiming to transition the automotive sector to a more circular model. It introduces measures across the entire life cycle of vehicles, from design and production to their end-of-life treatment, with the twofold goal of enhancing environmental protection and ensuring the proper functioning of the single market. A key focus is tackling the persistent problem of ‘missing vehicles’ through enhanced traceability and control measures.

The Danish Minister for Environment, Magnus Heunicke

“This provisional agreement marks a significant step towards a circular economy for the European automotive sector. We have succeeded in agreeing on a robust framework that closes loopholes, ensures valuable materials are kept within the EU economy, and curbs the export of polluting, non-roadworthy vehicles to third countries. The new regulation will drive forward innovation in sustainable design and create a stronger, cleaner market for materials and components.”
— Magnus Heunicke, Minister for Environment of Denmark

The new regulation significantly expands the scope of the previous directives to cover more vehicle categories, thereby capturing a larger share of the EU’s vehicle fleet and components for circular economy requirements. It continues to fully apply to passenger cars and light commercial vans, but the agreement extends the treatment requirements (collection, depollution, mandatory removal of parts) to include all regular heavy-duty vehicles (e.g. trucks), motorcycles and special purpose vehicles (both small and heavy-duty). The co-legislators agreed to exempt small volume manufacturers of heavy-duty special purpose vehicles.

The co-legislators set out requirements to ensure that new vehicles are designed to facilitate the recycling, re-use and remanufacturing of parts and components. A core element of the agreement is the introduction of mandatory targets for recycled content, notably plastics, in new vehicles. A minimum of 20% of this recycled plastic must come from closed-loop recycling (that is, material recovered from end-of-life vehicles) to ensure valuable materials are retained within the EU’s circular economy.

Around 3.5 million vehicles disappear without a trace from EU roads each year – and are exported, dismantled or disposed of illegally. To tackle the issue of ‘missing vehicles’ and illegal dismantling, the agreement introduces clearer rules on the distinction between a used vehicle and an end-of-life vehicle (ELV). A clear set of criteria is established to definitively determine when a vehicle is considered waste (i.e. an ELV). Once a vehicle meets these criteria, it must be treated by an authorised treatment facility (ATF) and cannot be legally exported or resold as a used vehicle. The agreement also establishes a strict framework for transfers of ownership by economic operators. For transfers by private persons, a risk-based approach is adopted, requiring documentation in situations most likely to lead to vehicles going missing, such as when the vehicle is declared an economic total loss by an insurance company or when the sale is concluded via an online platform, exclusively conducted without physical handover of the vehicle between the seller and buyer.

The regulation bans the export of used vehicles that are no longer roadworthy, ensuring the EU complies with its commitments to not contribute to pollution in third countries and to retain valuable materials within its territory. The co-legislators agreed that the ban would start applying after five years following the entry into force of the regulation.

Next steps – The provisional agreement must now be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament before being formally adopted. The regulation will start applying two years after its entry into force.

Motorcyclists aren’t against taking environmental responsibility, but the proposed End-of-Life Vehicles regulation doesn’t account for the unique culture, practicality, and already-efficient reuse systems of the motorcycle world. Here are FEMA’s key arguments against including motorcycles in the scope of the regulation:

• Lower environmental impact: Motorcycles have a smaller material footprint and consume fewer resources during production and operation than passenger cars or trucks. On average, motorcycles use significantly less metal, plastic, and energy in manufacturing. They contribute minimally to ELV waste streams, so the environmental return on regulating them under circularity policies would be marginal.

• Existing informal and efficient recycling practices: The motorcycle sector already has informal but effective reuse and recycling chains, especially in developing and emerging economies. Parts from end-of-life motorcycles are often salvaged, refurbished, and sold, creating a high degree of component reuse. Over-regulation might disrupt these local reuse economies, which are often more circular in practice than formal systems.

• A more evidence-based approach: Motorcycles are fundamentally different in scale, use, and environmental impact from larger vehicles. Including them in the current circularity requirements risks disproportionate economic burdens, unintended disruption of effective reuse systems, and inappropriate design mandates. A more nuanced, evidence-based approach would better serve the goals of circularity and sustainability.

Source: Council of the EU

Written by Wim Taal

Top image: AI generated