Europejski Komitet Ekonomiczno-Społeczny
The upcoming Slovenian Presidency of the EU has requested the Committee to draw up an exploratory opinion on the effective achievement of the Directive’s objectives in practice, on Member States’ best practices in regulating the agri-food chain, as well as on the steps needed so that this process does not come to a halt.
The objective of the opinion will be to analyse how the digital revolution in the economy is transforming retail and wholesale, how it is forcing fundamental changes: new business models and channels are emerging, data is becoming core business, customers buy more online, new digital products are offered, new skills are needed, stores in towns must evolve and reinvent themselves to stay relevant.
Batteries placed on the EU market should become sustainable, high-performing and safe all along their entire life cycle. This means batteries that are produced with the lowest possible environmental impact, using materials obtained in full respect of human rights as well as social and ecological standards. Batteries have to be long-lasting and safe, and at the end of their life, they should be repurposed, remanufactured or recycled, feeding valuable materials back into the economy.
In September 2020, the European Commission presented the Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials, which also contains the 2020 List of Critical Raw Materials.