Guide to EU Batteries Regulation Standards

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Batteries Regulation Standards

The Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 sets performance and safety requirements that must be met before batteries can be manufactured or imported for use in the European Union.

These requirements can, in many cases, be met by ensuring that a particular battery complies with applicable harmonised standards.

This guide lists related battery standards that have been published or are currently in development

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Primary batteries

The term primary batteries generally refers to single-use batteries that are not meant to be recharged. Examples include:

  • AA batteries
  • AAA batteries
  • LR44 batteries
  • Button cell batteries
Standard Description
EN IEC 60086-1:2025 Sets general requirements for primary batteries
EN IEC 60086-1:2025/AA:2026 Also sets general requirements for primary batteries
EN IEC 60086-2-1:2025 Sets physical and electrical specifications for primary batteries that feature aqueous electrolyte
EN IEC 60086-2-2:2025 Sets physical and electrical specifications for primary lithium batteries

Portable batteries / Secondary batteries

The Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 provides the following definitions for portable batteries:

Portable battery’ means a battery that is sealed, weighs 5 kg or less, is not designed specifically for industrial use and is neither an electric vehicle battery, an LMT battery, nor an SLI battery;

‘Portable battery of general use’ means a portable battery, whether or not rechargeable, that is specifically designed to be interoperable and that has one of the following common formats 4,5 Volts (3R12), button cell, D, C, AA, AAA, AAAA, A23, 9 Volts (PP3);

The term secondary batteries refers to rechargeable batteries.

Standard Description
EN 50342-1 Sets general requirements and test methods for lead-acid starter batteries.

While these types of batteries are often used in the automotive industry, we placed the standard under this section as:

a. The standard page mentions the technical body “CLC/TC 21X – Secondary cells and batteries”

b. Some types of lead-acid batteries can also be used in other industries

EN 50760:2026 Provides technical harmonization guidelines aiming to achieve the essential requirements set by the Batteries Regulation for portable batteries (Li-Ion)
EN 50761 Sets performance, durability, and other requirements for secondary portable batteries – Ni-MH
EN 50780 Sets performance, durability, and other requirements for lithium ion and sodium ion industrial batteries

Note that we list the following two standards under the Vehicle / LMT batteries section, as they are specific for light means of transport batteries:

  • EN 50762-1:2026 – Secondary batteries for light means of transport – Part 1
  • EN 50762-2 – Secondary batteries for light means of transport – Part 1

Energy storage systems

The following standards relate to energy storage systems.

Standard Description
EN 50778 Sets procedures, test conditions and methods to assess the performance and durability of flow battery energy systems (FBES) that are used in stationary storage applications
EN 50781 Sets safety requirements for the installation of stationary battery energy storage systems with lithium-ion batteries in environments that do not have a dedicated safety infrastructure

Vehicle / LMT batteries

The following battery standards apply to batteries for road vehicles and light means of transport batteries (LMT). The latter is also defined in the regulation:

‘Light means of transport battery’ or ‘LMT battery’ means a battery that is sealed, weighs 25 kg or less and is specifically designed to provide electric power for the traction of wheeled vehicles that can be powered by an electric motor alone or by a combination of motor and human power, including type-approved vehicles of category L within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 2 ), and that is not an electric vehicle battery;

Standard Description
EN 18060:2025 Sets performance, durability, and other requirements for alkali-Ion (Li-Ion, Na-Ion), Pb, NiMH and combined chemistries EV modules and batteries
EN 18061:2025 Sets steps, conditions and protocols for the safe repair and re-use and preparation for repurposing of modules and batteries that are designed for EV applications
EN 50762-1:2026 Sets test specifications for performance and durability aspects of secondary lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries for light means of transport
EN 50762-2 Sets procedures and conditions for the determination of the state of health and expected lifetime of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries with a battery management system

FAQ

Is compliance with harmonised standards mandatory under the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542?

Yes, compliance with harmonised standards is required in the sense that they provide a pathway to compliance with the requirements established by the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542.

For example, ensuring compliance with EN 18060:2025 is required to ensure that car batteries meet certain technical requirements that must be fulfilled before the battery is deemed to be compliant under the regulation.

This is established in Article 15, which concerns the presumption of conformity.

Are there harmonised standards under the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542?

While there is no final list of harmonised standards available yet, some standards have been published, and many more are under approval and drafting.

The status of these standards can be tracked via the CENELEC website.

How can we verify if a battery is compliant with European standards?

You need to obtain a test report which lists all applicable battery standards. You must also contact the issuing company to verify that the test report is authentic and still valid.

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    Sources: Our articles are written in part based on publicly available information, and our own practical experience relating to product compliance. These are some of the primary sources we use:

    • European Commission - europa.eu
    • EUR-Lex - eur-lex.europa.eu
    • European Chemicals Agency - echa.europa.eu
    • eCFR - ecfr.gov
    • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission - cpsc.gov
    • U.S. Federal Trade Commission - ftc.gov
    • U.S. Federal Communications Commission - fcc.gov
    • GOV.UK
    • Legislation.gov.uk
    • Laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
    • Legislation.gov.au

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    EU: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence (Link)

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