The Members of the European Parliament today approved the new rules for the circularity of motor vehicles in the European Union, stipulating that all new vehicles must be designed to facilitate the removal of parts and components and to use recycled plastic.
The provisional agreement that had been reached by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU at the end of 2025 was approved by 437 votes in favour, 112 votes against and 20 abstentions.
The new rules establish, on the one hand, that all new vehicles must be designed in such a way as to allow easy removal of as many parts and components as possible.
On the other hand, the plastics used in each new vehicle model must contain, at minimum, 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 or from used parts.
With regard to companies, when selling a used vehicle, they must assess whether it is not an end-of-life vehicle or, alternatively, whether it has a valid technical inspection certificate.
Private transactions will require only one of these two documents if the vehicle is declared as a total economic loss or if the sale is completed exclusively through an online platform.
Three years after the entry into force of these new rules, extended producer responsibility for manufacturers will be introduced, i.e., they will have to bear the costs of collection and treatment of end-of-life vehicles at any point in the EU.
The regulation, proposed by the European Commission in 2023, now has to be formally validated by the Member States and will be applied two years after entering into force.
According to Brussels data, 14.8 million motor vehicles were manufactured in the European bloc in 2023 and 12.4 million were registered.
On the roads of the European Union there are 285.6 million motor vehicles in circulation and, every year, around 6.5 million vehicles reach end of life.
