EU Battery Regulation: the dates that matter for storage and EV batteries

#One regulation, many deadlines

The EU Battery Regulation replaced the old Batteries Directive and has applied since 18 February 2024. Its obligations come into force in stages. These are the ones that matter most for rechargeable industrial batteries above 2 kWh, including stationary storage, and for EV batteries.

* Or later, if the Commission’s implementing or delegated act arrives late: the Regulation ties these dates to “whichever is later”.

#The battery passport

From 18 February 2027, each LMT battery, each industrial battery with a capacity above 2 kWh and each EV battery placed on the EU market needs a battery passport: an electronic record reached through the QR code on the battery. It carries data on composition, performance, durability and, once those rules apply, carbon footprint and recycled content. For stationary storage, LMT and EV batteries, state-of-health data from the battery management system also has to be made accessible.

#Due diligence: two more years

Regulation (EU) 2025/1561 moved the start of battery due diligence from 18 August 2025 to 18 August 2027, and the Commission’s guidelines from February 2025 to 26 July 2026. The obligation itself is unchanged: companies placing batteries on the market must manage social and environmental risks in their supply chains for raw materials such as cobalt, lithium and nickel.

#Carbon footprint: not started yet

On paper, the carbon footprint declaration applied to EV batteries from 18 February 2025 and to industrial batteries above 2 kWh from 18 February 2026. In practice, it starts only once the Commission’s calculation rules are in force. As of 26 September 2026, the delegated act for EV batteries had not been adopted, according to compliance trackers.

Sources disagree on industrial batteries: at least one says the industrial declaration is already mandatory, while most say it is deferred in the same way. Check EUR-Lex for the current status before planning around either reading.

#What storage and EV battery makers should do

• Treat the passport as a data project. Composition, performance and BMS data must be collected per battery and kept accessible for years.
• Keep the BESS safety file current. Article 12 documentation for stationary systems has been required since August 2024.
• Prepare carbon footprint data now. When the rules land, the clock starts quickly.
• Plan due diligence for 2027. The delay gives time, not an exemption.

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