Battery Industry Association Hosts 'EU Battery Policy Corporate Utilization Seminar'

The Korea Battery Industry Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) will hold an 'EU Battery Policy Corporate Utilization Seminar' on the 26th at 1:30 PM at the Federation of Korean Industries Plaza in Yeouido, together with the law firm Bae, Kim & Lee, the Delegation of the European Union to Korea, and the embassies of Poland and Hungary.

At this event, specialized lawyers from various fields at Bae, Kim & Lee will explain the key issues and response measures regarding seven essential EU battery market entry laws: the EU Battery Regulation, Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), supply chain due diligence, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), chemical substance regulations (REACH-PFAS), and EU foreign subsidies.

With the EU Battery Regulation scheduled to take effect in August, the seminar will present a pre-checklist that domestic companies need to review, starting with the carbon footprint provisions to be implemented from next year and subordinate legislation expected to be introduced between 2024 and 2028. Additionally, it will introduce precautions to address issues related to the designation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as restricted substances under the EU chemical management law (REACH), which has drawn interest from battery companies.

The Delegation of the European Union to Korea will introduce Korea-EU battery cooperation measures, and the embassies of Poland and Hungary will explain local business conditions and support policies.

KOTRA will provide an overview of the EU battery industry status and important considerations for entering the local market. Topics will include recent challenges to competitiveness such as rising energy prices, securing key personnel, minimum wage increases, and regulatory environment issues like obtaining permits for companies handling chemical substances.

Europe is the world's second-largest electric vehicle market, with Korean battery companies holding a 57% market share in the first half of this year. The three major domestic battery manufacturers plan to secure battery production facilities with a capacity of 210 gigawatt-hours (GWh) for 3 million electric vehicles by 2026. However, competition is expected to intensify as Chinese companies like CATL and SVOLT continue to expand their investments in the EU, and European companies such as Northvolt, Volkswagen, and Volvo accelerate investments in battery internalization.

Park Tae-sung, Vice Chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association, said, “We hope this seminar will enhance understanding of EU battery policies and strengthen strategic partnerships between our companies and EU member states.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.