Vehicles lifecycle: MEPs approved new EU circularity rules, from design to end-of-life treatment

The European Parliament gave its final approval of new EU circularity rules covering a vehicle’s entire lifecycle, from design to end-of-life treatment. The agreement reached by Parliament and Council at the end of 2025 was adopted with 437 votes in favour, 112 against and 20 abstentions, on 18/06/2026.

According to co-rapporteurs Jens Gieseke (EPP), of the ENVI committee, and Paulius Saudargas (EPP), of the Internal Market Committee, this is "an important step to boost the automotive sector’s transition to a circular economy. To avoid overburdening the sector, the new rules will introduce realistic targets, less red tape and fairer competition."

Aligned with the new rules :
• all new vehicles must be designed so as to allow the easy removal of as many parts and components as possible ;
• plastics used in each new vehicle type will have to contain a minimum of 15% recycled plastic within six years and 25% within ten years. A minimum of 20% of this recycled plastic must come from materials recovered from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) or used parts (the so-called "closed loop").

In…