Printer Friendly

The ELV Directive

The End of Life Vehicles Directive (ELV)

The ELV Directive (2000/53/EC) directly affects the automobile manufacturers of three and four wheel vehicles and their importers, direct suppliers, subcontractors and contract electronic and electrical manufacturers in the Member States of the EC. Its purpose is to reduce the waste in vehicles and encourage more recycling.
  • Restricts the use of heavy metals in new vehicles from 1 July 2003 such as: lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium in ELVs.
  • Requires a recycling system be established by automobile manufacturers and importers with increasing amounts of recycled material over time (ramps up from 75% to 95% based on manufacturing date of car from 2006 to 2015). First major increased recycling targets must be achieved by January, 2006.
  • Requires implementation of Certificate of Destruction system. Vehicle "take back" will be at no cost to the customer, if such vehicles have a negative value when scrapped.
  • Requires that ELVs can only be scrapped (‘treated’) by authorised treatment facilities, which must meet tightened environmental standards.
  • Requires producers to make available dismantling information in respect of new vehicles.
  • Requires producers to mark certain vehicle components to aid recycling.
  • EC law as of April 21, 2002. First major review and revision is December 31, 2005. Fully implemented for all ELV returns from owners by January 1, 2007.
  • An amendment (2002/525/EC) to Annex II of the Directive was passed on June, 27 2002. This amendment established a maximum concentration value up to 0.1% by weight and per homogeneous material for the restricted substances.
  • Currently exempt from restrictions are the lead in "solder in electronic circuit boards and other applications" and in "batteries", and hexavalent chromium in "corrosion preventative coating on numerous key vehicle components (maximum 2g per vehicle)." Other exempted materials are listed in Annex II of Directive .
  • Penalties for noncompliance or fraudulent activities include monetary fines and potential incarceration

In the UK, this is the Government’s second consultation on implementation of the ELV Directive.  The current consultation seeks comments on draft regulations covering the above provisions of the Directive, but further consultation covering other aspects, including arrangements for achieving the 2006 recycling/recovery targets, and for free take back of ELVs with a negative value from 2007, will follow in due course.  We should welcome comments on the consultation and draft regulations from all interested parties.

A separate consultation will take place regarding implementation in Northern Ireland, and, in respect of authorised treatment facilities, in Scotland.

ELV, Article 4, paragraph 2(a) states the banned substances:

"Member States shall ensure that materials and components of vehicles put on the market after 1 July 2003 do not contain lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium other than in cases listed in Annex II under the conditions specified therein."

ELV Material Excempted from Article 4(2)(a)

Lead as an alloying element:

  • Steel (including galvanised steel) containing up to 0,35 % lead by weight
  • Aluminium containing up to 0,4 % lead by weight
  • Aluminium (in wheel rims, engine parts and window levers) containing up to 4 %

Lead by weight:

  • Copper alloy containing up to 4 % lead by weight
  • Lead/bronze bearing-shells and bushes

Lead and lead compounds in components:

  • Batteries
  • Coating inside petrol tanks
  • Vibration dampers
  • Vulcanising agent for high pressure or fuel hoses
  • Stabiliser in protective paints
  • Solder in electronic circuit boards and other applications

Hexavalent chromium:

  • Corrosion preventative coating on numerous key vehicle components (maximum 2 g per vehicle)

Mercury:

  • Bulbs and instrument panel displays 

Within the procedure referred to in Article 4(2)(b), the Commission shall evaluate the following applications:

  • lead as an alloy in aluminium in wheel rims, engine parts and window levers
  • lead in batteries
  • lead in balance weights
  • electrical components which contain lead in a glass or ceramics matrix compound
  • cadmium in batteries for electrical vehicles

as a matter of priority, in order to establish as soon as possible whether Annex II is to be amended accordingly.As regards cadmium in batteries for electrical vehicles, the Commission shall take into account, within the procedure referred to in Article 4(2)b and in the framework of an overall environmental assessment, the availability of substitutes as well as the need to maintain the availability of electrical vehicles.