Analysing policy change towards the circular economy at the example of EU battery legislation

Batteries play an important role in the decarbonisation of road transport. By looking at the EU battery legislation from 1991 to 2022, policy change in the subsystem and its underlying drivers is analysed. The advocacy coalition framework is used, with a mixed methods approach combining qualitative document analysis and interviews. A strong increase in circular economy aspects is identified, going beyond the coverage of such aspects in other EU product regulations. Coalitions of industry actors and opposing NGOs are identified, but also a broadening of stakeholders involved and less accentuated boundaries between coalitions over time. Several external events were identified that are likely to have contributed to the alignment of economic and environmental interests towards a domestic and sustainable battery supply chain in the EU. Batteries can serve as a blueprint for other product groups, demonstrating that political and industrial momentum can be used to pursue ambitious environmental policies.