The new EU battery directive that came into effect on 17th August 2023 will be valid in all Eu member states directly – with some national adaptations and procedures – also in Finland.
The new battery directive will start after a six-month transition period in February 2025. But there is an even longer transitional period for the requirements related to waste management and producer responsibility (such as reporting, registrations, categorization etc.)- so issues that have to be decided on a national level. That results in the fact that EPR systems and registers must comply with the new requirements by August 2025 at the latest.
In order to implement the Battery Regulation, a multidisciplinary government working group has been established in Finland. National legislation needs to be modified to align with the Battery Regulation, and any provisions in conflict with the Regulation must be repealed. Additionally, necessary regulations, such as those concerning competent authorities and sanctions, will be added to national legislation.
The first proposed amendment to the national waste act, addressing the requirements of the EU Battery Regulation regarding the approval and designation of conformity assessment bodies for batteries, is expected to be reviewed by the parliament in the near future.
In addition to the battery issue Finland updated their packaging producer responsibility and put an end to an old threshold. From 2024 on the 1 Mio € turnover limit will be taken out of the Finish packaging legislation so that also companies with fewer sales are included in the EPR and have to register, report and pay in Finland for bringing packed products onto the market.
If you have any questions on WEEE, battery and packaging compliance in Finland please do not hesitate to contact the Go4Recycling team.