End-of-life vehicles. ELV Directive

The Commission presented its fourth report on the implementation of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles (the ELV Directive), the aim of which is to prevent the production of waste from vehicles and their components so as to reduce the final disposal of waste and its overall environmental impact.

The report covers the period from 22 April 2014 to 21 April 2017. 25 Member States submitted responses for the period. Three countries (Hungary, Latvia and Malta) have not yet done so. Overall, the information submitted was fairly comprehensive and of good quality.

Positive developments in implementation

The transposition of the Directive is considered satisfactory for all Member States and there are no infringement proceedings pending. Overall, the implementation of the ELV Directive appears to be appropriate:

- by 2017, 20 Member States had achieved the target of a minimum reuse and recycling rate of 85% by average weight per vehicle per year; two Member States had not achieved the target but were close to it and six Member States had not provided data. The average reuse and recycling rate for the EU-28 as a whole was 89%, four percentage points above the target;

- the reuse and recovery target of 95% by average weight per vehicle per year proved more difficult to achieve. By 2017, 15 Member States had achieved the target of a minimum rate of 95% reuse and recovery by average weight per vehicle per year; seven Member States had not yet achieved the 95% target but were very close to it and six Member States have not yet reported their results. The average reuse and recovery rate for the EU-28 as a whole was 94%, just below the target;

- under the ELV Directive, vehicle and equipment manufacturers are required to limit the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium for materials and components placed on the market after 1 July 2003. The use of the banned hazardous substances is steadily decreasing due to several amendments to Annex II of the Directive which continuously reduce the number of exemptions allowing their use;

- the number of authorised treatment facilities (14 173 in 2015-2017 in EU 28) has increased and Member States are starting to report innovative measures such as the incorporation of recycled materials, support for waste prevention projects and the establishment of environmental management systems, all of which can be examples of good practice for other countries to follow.

Unknown whereabouts and illegal dismantling of ELVs

Among the shortcomings in the implementation and enforcement of the ELV Directive, the most difficult to address remains the high number of ‘ELVs of unknown whereabouts’. Illegal collection, dismantling and trade of ELV parts remains a problem. In addition to the loss of valuable resources (recoverable components and materials), these illegal operations and the treatment of ELVs in unauthorised treatment facilities also have negative effects on health and the environment. 

A recent Commission study shows that the high number of ELVs of unknown whereabouts can be explained, inter alia, by failures in deregistration systems and incorrect treatment of ELVs (not all ELVs are transferred to collection points and not all ELVs are transferred to collection points and not all ELVs obtain a Certificate of Destruction (CoD); some ELVs are dismantled in unauthorised facilities). In addition, some ELVs are illegally exported as used vehicles.

In order to address this problem, the Commission has carried out a compliance promotion initiative to assess the implementation of the ELV Directive, paying particular attention to end-of-life vehicles of unknown whereabouts.

Outlook

The European Commission is currently reviewing the ELV Directive in order to assess the extent to which EU ELV legislation rules deliver benefits for the environment, the public and industry. The assessment shall be completed in 2020. The topics being explored include:

- the efficiency of the implementation of the Directive, including the problem of ELVs of unknown whereabouts;

- coherence with definitions in other legislation;

- the relevance and feasibility of targets for certain materials;

- reporting and monitoring methods and relevance to the challenges of new technologies, including electric and hybrid vehicles;

- changes in the material composition of vehicle.