End-of Life Vehicles Directive

• 1. Issued by / date / date of implementation
• 2. Type of legislation
• 3. General purpose
• 4. Substitution relevant paragraphs
• 5. Assessment of relevance for substitution
• 6. Link to the legal text
• 7. Further information

1. Issued by / date / date of implementation

EU / October 2000 / February 2010

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2. Type of legislation

European Union Directive, to be implemented by all EU Member States according to the subsidiary principle by their means.

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3. General purpose

The purpose is prevention of waste from vehicles as a first priority. Furthermore the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of end-of life vehicles and their components are presented as measures s to reduce the disposal of waste.

It also aims at the improvement of the environmental performance for all the economic actors involved in the life cycle of vehicles and especially the actors directly involved in the treatment of end-of life vehicles.

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4. Substitution relevant paragraphs

Article 4 Prevention

1. In order to promote the prevention of waste Member States shall encourage, in particular:

(a) vehicle manufactureres, in liaison with material and equipment manufacturers, to limit the use of hazardous substances in vehicles and to reduce them as far as possible from the conception of the vehicle onwards, so as in particular to prevent their release into the environment, make recycling easier, and avoid the need to dispose of hazardous waste.

2. (a) Member States shall ensure that materials and components of vehicles put on the market after July 2003 do not contain lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium

Annex II: Materials and components exempt from Article 4(2)(a):

As regards cadmium in batteries for electrical vehicles, the Commission shall take into account, the availability of substitutes as well as the need to maintain the availability of electrical vehicles.

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5. Assessment of relevance for substitution

A priority in this directive is the reduction and restriction of hazardous substances in vehicles in order to prevent their release into the environment, to facilitate recycling and to avoid the disposal of hazardous waste. Substitution ca contribute to this goal.

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6. Link to the legal text

Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000

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7. Further information

7.1 Studies or publications about the legislation or its impact

7.2 Other relevant legislation

• Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on end-of life vehicles – Commission Statements
• 2002/525/EC: Commission Decision of 27 June 2002 amending Annex II of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles : Tolerated contaminations and exemptions
• 2005/63/EC: Commission Decision of 24 January 2005 amending Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of life vehicles: Exemptions for spare parts
• 2005/438/EC: Commission Decision of 10 June 2005 amending Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of life vehicles: Exemption of spare parts
• 2005/673/EC: Council Decision of 20 September 2005 amending Annex II of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles: Tolerated contaminations and exemptions

7.3 Relevant jurisdictional conflicts

Amendmets to the Annexes

• Materials and components exempt from the requirements of Article 4, paragraph e, point a)
• Decision 2010/115/EU [Official Journal L 48 of 25.2.2010]

Related acts

• Report from the Commission of 20 November 2009 on the implementation of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles for the period 2005-2008 [COM(2009) 635 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
  It has come out of the twenty-five reports received by the Commission that certain provisions of the Directive have not been completely transposed or they have been done so incorrectly. A large number of Member States did not achieve their targets for re-use/recycling/recovery in 2006. For example, only nineteen Member States met the target of re-using/recycling 80% and thirteen met the target of re-use/recovery set at 85%.
• Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation of directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles for the period 2002-2005 [COM(2007) 618 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
  The Directive on end-of-life vehicles has largely been well transposed in the majority of Member States, particularly with regard to the ban on using certain harmful substances in vehicles and vehicle components and the requirement to take-back end-of-life vehicles free of charge. A large number of Member States have set lower re-use, recovery and recycling targets for vehicles produced before 1980. However, despite significant progress in terms of transposing the Directive, implementation of the legislation cannot be considered fully satisfactory. The Commission concludes that Member States must increase measures to enforce the legislation in this area.
• Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 16 January 2007 on the targets contained in Article 7(2)(b) of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles (COM(2007) 5 final – Not published in the Official Journal).
  The Directive on end-of-life vehicles has led to technological innovations in the treatment of this type of waste, generating numerous and substantial environmental and economic benefits (in particular in terms of air and water quality and the reduction of the quantity of waste). The report states that the targets for 2015 (85% for re-use and recycling and 95% for re-use and recovery) are optimal in terms of both their environmental and their economic benefits and should not be revised.
• Directive 2005/64/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2005 on the type-approval of motor vehicles with regard to their reusability, recyclability and recoverability and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC (Official Journal L 310, 25.11.2005).
  This Directive lays down minimum thresholds for the re-use, recycling and recovery of the component parts and materials of new vehicles with the aim of facilitating the re-use, recycling and recovery of parts with a view to fulfilling the planned 2015 objectives for recycling and recovering end-of-life vehicles. It provides for a preliminary assessment of manufacturers before Member States grant EC type-approval or national type-approval. From 15 December 2008, vehicles which do not comply with the requirements of this Directive may not be granted EC type-approval or national type-approval. From 15 July 2010, moreover, the marketing of new vehicles which do not comply with the requirements of this Directive will be prohibited.
• Decision 2005/293/EC [Official Journal L 94 of 13.4.2005].
  Commission Decision of 1 April 2005 laying down detailed rules on the monitoring of the re-use/recovery and re-use/recycling targets set out in Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles.
• Decision 2003/138/EC [Official Journal L 53 of 28.2.2003].
  Commission Decision of 27 February 2003 establishing component and material coding standards for vehicles pursuant to Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles.
• Decision 2002/151/EC [Official Journal L 50 of 21.2.2002].
  Commission Decision of 19 February 2002 on minimum requirements for the certificate of destruction issued in accordance with Article 5(3) of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles.
• Decision 2001/753/EC [Official Journal L 282 of 26.10.2001].
  Commission Decision of 17 October 2001, concerning a questionnaire for Member States’ reports on the implementation of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles.

Last update: 28.06.2019

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