Council: adoption of a regulation to enhance circularity of the automotive sector

The Council formally adopted the regulation concerning circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of end-of-life vehicles, on 29/06/2026.

The new rules will ensure that new vehicles are designed and produced in a way that supports their re-use, recycling and recovery, in order to make the automotive sector more circular and sustainable.

Therefore :
• at least 15% of plastic used to manufacture new vehicles must come from recycling, with the ultimate target of 25% recycled plastic within 10 years of the regulation entering into force ;
• a minimum of 20% of this recycled plastic must be recovered from end-of-life vehicles ;
• producers will be made financially and organisationally responsible for the entire lifecycle of their vehicles, including when they become waste: it covers promoting design for circularity and ensuring the free take-back and proper treatment of all end-of-life vehicles.

The Council's regulation also include the ‘missing vehicles’ - "those illegally dismantled or exported - by enhancing traceability and control measures. Once a vehicle meets the…