Regulation (EU) 2023/1542: Full Text, 14 Chapters, 15 Annexes and How to Read It

Its number, 2023/1542, identifies it in every citation.

The Regulation was published in the Official Journal, OJ L 191, on 28 July 2023, entered into force on 17 August 2023 and has applied since 18 February 2024. This page covers the legal text itself; what that text requires of companies is explained under the EU Battery Regulation overview.

The sections below give the act's legal identity and its path from proposal to signature, where to read the official text and which version is current.

They then set out its chapters, annexes and recitals, how to cite it, the acts that have changed it, the Article 94 review and the tasks left to the Member States.

What Is Regulation (EU) 2023/1542?

Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 is a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States, that replaced the regime of the repealed Batteries Directive 2006/66/EC with one act covering batteries and waste batteries. Its rules reach companies without a national act in between.

The full official title reads "Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries, amending Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Directive 2006/66/EC (Text with EEA relevance)". The title thus names the two acts the Regulation amends and the one it repeals.

Article 1(1) and (2) set out what the Regulation governs: sustainability, safety, labelling, marking and information requirements; extended producer responsibility, collection, treatment and reporting; battery due diligence; and green public procurement.

Article 1(3) applies these rules to five battery categories: portable, LMT (light means of transport), SLI (starting, lighting and ignition), industrial and electric vehicle batteries.

Two Commission departments are responsible for the Regulation: DG Environment and DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Its legal basis is Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), with Article 192(1) TFEU as the basis for Articles 54 to 76, the articles of Chapter VIII on waste batteries.

Legal Identity at a Glance

The identity of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 rests on four references: CELEX 32023R1542, the ELI http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj, OJ L 191, 28.7.2023, p. 1 and Council document PE/2/2023/REV/1. EUR-Lex records the act as text with EEA relevance and gives it no end date of validity.

The date in the title, 12 July 2023, is the day the act was signed in Strasbourg, not the day it was published. 28 July 2023 is only the date of the Official Journal issue, so the act is never cited by that date. The table below collects every identifier in one place.

From Proposal COM(2020) 798 to the Adopted Act

The Commission proposed the Regulation on 10 December 2020 as COM(2020) 798, under the ordinary legislative procedure 2020/0353(COD). The procedure file 2020/0353(COD) of the European Parliament records each step, and the Commission announced the proposal in press release IP/20/2312 on the same day.

The proposal differed from the adopted act in size and design. It had 79 articles and 14 annexes, and four categories (portable, automotive, industrial and electric vehicle batteries, with LMT batteries counted as portable).

It proposed application from 1 January 2022 (Article 79 of the proposal) and the repeal of the directive from 1 July 2023 (Article 78).

In Parliament, the ENVI committee led the file and tabled report A9-0031/2022 on 22 February 2022, after its committee vote of 10 February 2022.

The European Economic and Social Committee had delivered opinion CES0122/2021 on 24 March 2021. Coreper confirmed the agreed text PE740.776 on 18 January 2023, and ENVI approved it on 24 January 2023.

Parliament adopted its position on 14 June 2023, and the Council took its decision on 28 June 2023, according to footnote 2 of the Official Journal text.

The procedure file shows 10 July 2023 for the act adopted by the Council after Parliament's first reading, an event date in that file rather than the Council decision date.

Guides to the Regulation's Dates, Definitions, Predecessor and Changes

Five guides cover the parts of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 that change over time or need their own page: the application timeline, the Article 3 definitions, the repealed Batteries Directive, the amendments and the delegated and implementing acts. Each guide gives the article-by-article detail that this page only summarises.

Dates, definitions and secondary acts appear on this page as short summaries in their own sections. The table below lists each guide with the question it answers, its legal hook in the Regulation and one point to note, dated wherever the status can still change.

Need help applying Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 to your batteries? Which duties follow from the text, step by step, is set out under how to comply with the EU Battery Regulation.

Where to Read the Official Text: EUR-Lex, PDF and the Official Journal

The authentic text of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 is the version published in the Official Journal, OJ L 191 of 28 July 2023, pages 1 to 117, which EUR-Lex offers as HTML and PDF under CELEX 32023R1542. EUR-Lex publishes the HTML text and the PDF of the Official Journal side by side.

The EUR-Lex document information page adds the record around that text. It lists the dates of the act, the acts that modify or complete it, the Commission proposals to amend it and the corrigenda, each with its own CELEX number. It also gives the procedure number 2020/0353(COD) and the responsible Commission departments.

The Official Journal text shows the Regulation as adopted in 2023, without later amendments or corrections. Article 77(10), the replaced Annex I table and the corrected wording of the three English corrigenda are missing from it. The amended wording appears in the consolidated version described in the next section.

Consolidated Versions and the Text of 13 August 2026

The consolidated version 02023R1542-20260813, dated 13 August 2026, integrates Regulations (EU) 2024/1781, 2025/1561 and 2026/1738 and corrigenda C1 to C4 into the text of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542. EUR-Lex marks the three amending acts as M1, M2 and M3 in the consolidated text of 13 August 2026.

As of 13 November 2026, this consolidated version does not include Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1770, which replaces Article 11(2) with effect from 11 November 2026. A reader of Article 11(2) therefore reads the delegated act alongside the consolidated text, because the derogations printed there are no longer the ones that apply.

Corrigendum C2, listed in the consolidated header, corrects Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 rather than the battery text. Of the four corrigenda in that header, only C1, C3 and C4 correct Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 itself; the next section sets out what each of them changes in the English wording.

Corrigenda to the English Text

EUR-Lex lists 15 corrigenda to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, R(01) to R(15), of which three correct the English text: C1 of 17 April 2024, C3 of 8 October 2025 and C4 of 10 April 2026.

In the EUR-Lex numbering they are R(05), R(11) and R(13), published as OJ L, 2024/90243, OJ L, 2025/90794 and OJ L, 2026/90285.

Corrigendum C1 makes two corrections: in Article 1(6), "Chapters III and VIII" reads "Chapters III and IX", and in Article 92, "Article 2, point (1)" reads "Article 3(1), point (1)". Corrigendum C3 corrects the last sentence of Article 32(4), where "Article 74(2)" reads "Article 90(2)".

Corrigendum C4 corrects Annex XIII, point 1(q), where "Article 13(3) and (4)" reads "Article 13(4) and (5)". The other 12 corrigenda correct language versions only, for example R(14) in Finnish of 28 July 2026 and R(15) in Bulgarian of 19 October 2026, and leave the English wording unchanged.

Structure of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542: 14 Chapters, 96 Articles, 15 Annexes

Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 has 143 recitals, 96 articles in 14 chapters and 15 annexes, and Article 3(1) defines 68 terms. The recitals come first, the articles follow in chapter order from Chapter I to Chapter XIV, and the annexes close the act.

The three parts have different roles. Articles carry the obligations, annexes carry the technical detail the articles refer to, such as substance limits, conformity procedures and passport information, and recitals explain why each rule exists. The definitions in Article 3(1) run from point (1) to point (68).

The 14 Chapters and Their Article Ranges

Chapter I (Articles 1 to 5) sets the subject matter, scope, definitions and free movement, and Chapters II to IV (Articles 6 to 20) set the product requirements and conformity.

Chapter II covers sustainability and safety (Articles 6 to 12), Chapter III labelling, marking and information (Articles 13 and 14) and Chapter IV conformity (Articles 15 to 20).

Chapters V and VI (Articles 21 to 46) deal with conformity assessment bodies and with economic operators. Chapter V, on the notification of conformity assessment bodies, spans 17 articles, while Chapter VI sets the obligations of economic operators other than those in Chapters VII and VIII, in Articles 38 to 46.

Chapters VII to IX (Articles 47 to 78) cover due diligence, waste batteries and the passport.

Chapter VII on due diligence policies spans seven articles, 47 to 53. Chapter VIII, on the management of waste batteries, is the longest at 23 articles, and Chapter IX on the digital battery passport has only two, Articles 77 and 78.

Chapters X to XIV (Articles 79 to 96) close the act with market surveillance and safeguard procedures, green public procurement and the procedure for amending substance restrictions, delegated powers, amendments to other acts and final provisions. Table 2 gives every chapter title as published, its article range and the guide that explains it.

The 15 Annexes and What Each Holds

The 15 annexes run from Annex I (restriction on substances) to Annex XV (the correlation table to Directive 2006/66/EC). Each annex holds detail that an article refers to, so an annex is read together with the article that calls it up, never on its own.

Annexes II to IX hold the requirement parameters, the conformity procedures and the declaration. Annex II covers the carbon footprint, Annexes III and IV electrochemical performance and durability, Annex V safety, Annex VI labelling, marking and information, Annex VII state of health and expected lifetime, Annex VIII conformity assessment and Annex IX the EU declaration of conformity.

Annexes X to XIV serve due diligence, waste and the passport: raw materials and risk categories, collection-rate calculation, storage and treatment, passport information and shipments of used batteries.

Annex I has changed since 2023: Regulation (EU) 2026/1738 replaced its table from 13 August 2026, and the consolidated text shows that table without a separate title line.

The 143 Recitals and How They Relate to the Articles

The 143 recitals before Article 1 explain why each rule exists and how the legislator meant it, while only the articles and annexes impose obligations. The guides on this site cite a recital wherever it explains how an article is meant to work, always next to the article it explains.

Three recitals recur across the guides. Recital 15 places home energy storage batteries among industrial batteries and sorts the categories by design and use, independently of chemistry. Recital 126 describes the battery passport as a decentralised data system, and recital 141 explains why the repeal of the directive was delayed.

Article 3(1) holds 68 definitions, and Article 3(2) imports further terms from three other acts: Directive 2008/98/EC, Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/944. The imported terms include "separate collection" and "recycling" from the waste act, "recall" and "withdrawal" from the market surveillance act, and "energy storage".

From When Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 Applies

Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 entered into force on 17 August 2023, the twentieth day after its publication, and applies from 18 February 2024 (Article 96(1) and (2)). Both dates sit in Article 96, the last article of the act, which also staggers the start of four parts.

Article 96(2) lists those four parts. Article 17 on conformity assessment procedures and Chapter VI apply from 18 August 2024 (point (b)), Chapter VIII from 18 August 2025 (point (c)) and Article 11 on removability and replaceability from 18 February 2027 (point (a)).

Further dates sit in the articles themselves, such as the QR code under Article 13(6), the battery passport under Article 77(1) and due diligence under Article 48(1), as amended. Other dates depend on secondary acts and are written "whichever is the latest", as the reading section below explains with two examples.

What EUR-Lex Lists as Modifying, Completing and Proposed Acts

As of 13 November 2026, EUR-Lex lists four acts that modify Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, one act that completes it and six Commission proposals to amend it. The EUR-Lex document information page shows the three groups under separate headings, listing each act or proposal by its CELEX number.

The four modifying acts change one point each: Article 77(10), Article 48(1) and (5), the Annex I table and Article 11(2). Regulation (EU) 2025/1561, in force since 31 July 2025, moved the start of the Chapter VII due diligence obligations to 18 August 2027 and the guidelines deadline of Article 48(5) to 26 July 2026.

The completing act is Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/606, in force since 24 July 2025, which sets the recycling efficiency and material recovery methodology under Article 71(4).

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1770 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2289 on the Article 76(5) reporting format are the other adopted acts; every other secondary act is a draft or not yet proposed.

COM(2025) 258 became Regulation (EU) 2025/1561. The other five proposals are pending as of 13 November 2026, with the stages in Table 5, and none of them changes the text until an amending act is published in the Official Journal. COM(2025) 982, for example, leaves Article 56(3) applying unchanged.

How to Read Regulation (EU) 2023/1542

Read Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 in three steps: find the article that sets the duty, check the annex it refers to, then check Article 96 or the article itself for the date and whether a secondary act is still missing. The recitals then explain the purpose of the rule.

The battery category decides which articles apply in the first place. Article 1(3) names the five categories, and Article 3(1), points (9) to (15), define them, so a reader classifies the battery before reading any obligation. Labels, the passport and recycled content each apply to a different set of categories.

Citing Articles, Paragraphs, Points and Annexes

Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 is cited by article, paragraph in brackets, point in brackets and subparagraph in words. "Article 7(1), second subparagraph" names a subparagraph, "Article 3(1), point (12)" a point of a paragraph, and "Annex XIII, point 1(a)" a point of an annex. Chapters carry Roman numerals, from Chapter I to Chapter XIV.

An article changed by a later act is cited with the amending act, for example "Article 48(1), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2025/1561". An inserted paragraph is cited the same way: Article 77(10) was inserted by Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 and does not appear in the Official Journal text of 2023.

Corrected wording is cited from the consolidated text or the corrigendum, not from the 2023 Official Journal text. Article 1(6) and Article 92, for example, are quoted in the wording of corrigendum C1 set out above. A precise citation also names the version it relies on, such as the consolidated text of 13 August 2026.

Conditional Dates and Acts Still Missing

Articles 7, 8 and 10 tie several obligations to a fixed date or a period after a delegated or implementing act, whichever is the latest, so the obligation starts only once the act exists. The fixed date in these articles cannot serve as the application date on its own.

The carbon footprint declaration for electric vehicle batteries shows the pattern. It applies from 18 February 2025 or 12 months after the methodology delegated act and the format implementing act, whichever is the latest (Article 7(1)). Neither act had been adopted as of 13 November 2026.

The labels of Article 13(1) to (3), for general information, capacity and minimum average duration, follow the same pattern. They apply from 18 August 2026 or 18 months after the entry into force of the Article 13(10) implementing act, whichever is the latest, and that act had not been adopted as of 13 November 2026.

What the Regulation Changes in Other EU Acts

Chapter XIII amends two other acts from 18 February 2024: Article 91 amends Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance (Article 4(5) and Annex I, point 21) and Article 92 amends Article 8a of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste. In Annex I, point 21, the Regulation replaces Directive 2006/66/EC.

Article 90(1) assigns the committee procedure to the committee established by Article 39 of Directive 2008/98/EC.

Article 95 repeals Directive 2006/66/EC with effect from 18 August 2025, with Articles 11, 12(4) and (5) and 21(2) of the directive surviving to later dates, and Annex XV sets out which article of the directive corresponds to which article of the Regulation.

The Article 94 Review Clause and Its Report Dates

Article 94 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 obliges the Commission to report on the application of the Regulation by 30 June 2031 and sets earlier, targeted reviews. The general report also evaluates possible rechargeable and non-rechargeable portable sub-categories with separate collection targets (Article 94(2), point (e)).

The earliest targeted review concerns Chapter VII. Article 94(4) sets a deadline of 12 months after the entry into force of a corporate due diligence act or 30 June 2031, whichever is the earliest. The corporate sustainability due diligence directive, Directive (EU) 2024/1760, entered into force on 25 July 2024, which gives 25 July 2025.

Article 94(5) requires a report by 30 June 2031 on extending the LMT definition, in particular to non-wheeled vehicles, and Article 94(6) set 1 January 2025 for an assessment of a common charger. The delegated powers run for five years from 17 August 2023 and are tacitly extended (Article 89(2)).

The Member State Layer: Penalties, Authorities and Registers by Country

Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 needs no transposition, but it leaves three tasks to the Member States: penalty rules by 18 August 2025 (Article 93), competent authorities notified by 18 November 2025 (Article 54(4)) and producer registers (Article 55). Each task is carried out under national law.

National implementing laws therefore cover extended producer responsibility, penalties and authorities. The Regulation is under scrutiny for incorporation into the EEA Agreement, with no EEA Joint Committee Decision as of 13 November 2026. Each national law, register and authority is set out under EU Battery Regulation by country.

Questions About the Text of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542

Five questions about Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concern its dates, its legal effect and which text to rely on; each answer gives the article or the EUR-Lex record behind it.

Common Questions on the Legal Text

The answers below use the Official Journal text and the EUR-Lex document information page.

When was Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 signed and published?

It was signed in Strasbourg on 12 July 2023 and published in OJ L 191 on 28 July 2023. It entered into force on 17 August 2023, the twentieth day after publication (Article 96(1)), and has applied since 18 February 2024 (Article 96(2)).

Does Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 need national transposition?

No: the Regulation is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. National laws set penalties under Article 93, designate the competent authorities of Article 54 and run the producer registers of Article 55, but they do not transpose the Regulation's obligations.

Which act did Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 repeal?

It repealed Directive 2006/66/EC with effect from 18 August 2025 (Article 95). Some directive provisions survive beyond that date: Article 12(4) and (5) until 31 December 2025, Article 21(2) until 18 August 2026 and Article 11 until 18 February 2027.

Is the consolidated text of 13 August 2026 complete?

No: as of 13 November 2026, the consolidated version 02023R1542-20260813 does not include Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1770, which replaces Article 11(2) with effect from 11 November 2026. The derogations of Article 11(2) are therefore read in the delegated act itself.

Is the EUR-Lex summary of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 up to date?

No: the summary was last updated on 1 August 2025 and states a repeal of the directive from 30 June 2027 and labels from 2026. Article 95 repeals the directive with effect from 18 August 2025, and the Article 13(1) to (3) labels depend on an implementing act not adopted as of 13 November 2026.