DIRECTIVE 2006/66/EC OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
On September 26, 2006, European Commission released a new Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators, The Directive replaced the original Directive 91/157/EC and 98/101/EC. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 26 September 2008. This Directive applies to the scope including battery packs, portable batteries and accumulators, automotive batteries and accumulators, industrial batteries and accumulators and so on.

The main content of the new directive

1. The definition of battery and battery pack;
2. Revised the limit value of mercury and cadmium in batteries;
3. Battery label requirement;
4. Revised the content of lead, mercury and cadmium label requirements;
5. Determined the portable battery waste recovery goals;
6. Prohibit the waste batteries for industrial and automotive to landfill or incineration;
7. Adds to the "producer responsibility";
8. Batteries must be removed from the product (except due to security, performance, health, or data integrity must be permanently connected to the battery);
9. Since September 26, 2009, portable and car battery capacity shall be indicated on the label;
10. Producers (including sales with batteries and battery products manufacturer) need to be registered in each member country.

1. 2006/66 / EC on the battery, the battery pack and portable battery definition:
(1) ‘battery’ or ‘accumulator’ means any source of electrical energy generated by direct conversion of chemical energy and consisting of one or more primary battery cells (non-rechargeable) or consisting of one or more secondary battery cells (rechargeable);
(2) ‘battery pack’ means any set of batteries or accumulators that are connected together and/or encapsulated within an outer casing so as to form a complete unit that the end-user is not intended to split up or open;
(3) ‘portable battery or accumulator’ means any battery, button cell, battery pack or accumulator that:
(a) is sealed; and
(b) can be hand-carried; and
(c) is neither an industrial battery or accumulator nor an automotive battery or accumulator;

2. Directive 2006/66/EC limited requirements on hazardous substance:
(1)It is prohibited produce and sale all batteries or accumulators, whether or not incorporated into appliances, that contain more than 0.0005 % of mercury by weight. (Exemption product: The button cells with a mercury content of no more than 2 % by weight)
(2)It is prohibited produce and sale portable batteries or accumulators, including those incorporated into appliances that contain more than 0.002 % of cadmium by weight. (Exemption product: emergency and alarm systems, including emergency lighting; medical equipment; cordless power tools)

3. Directive 2006/66/EC requirements on the battery label:
1. All batteries, accumulators and button cells should be marked with the symbol of crossed-out wheeled bin Batteries, accumulators and button cells containing more than 0.0005 % mercury, more than 0.002 % cadmium or more than 0.004 % lead, shall be marked with the chemical symbol for the metal concerned: Hg, Cd or Pb. The symbol indicating the heavy metal content shall be printed beneath the symbol of crossed-out wheeled bin and shall cover an area of at least one quarter the size of that symbol.
2. If the batteries or accumulators containing more than one kind metal that mentioned before, then need to respectively attach corresponding chemical symbol. For example, one battery contains more than 0.004 % lead (Pb) and more than 0.0005 % mercury(Hg), then should be attached two symbols of Pb and Hg.

3. The symbol shown shall cover at least 3 % of the area of the largest side of the battery, accumulator or battery pack, up to a maximum size of 5 × 5 cm.
4. In the case of cylindrical cells, the symbol shall cover at least 1.5 % of the surface area of the battery or accumulator and shall have a maximum size of 5 × 5 cm.
5. Where the size of the battery, accumulator or battery pack is such that the symbol would be smaller than 0.5 × 0.5cm, the battery, accumulator or battery pack need not be marked but a symbol measuring at least 1 × 1 cm shall be printed on the packaging.
6. Symbols shall be printed visibly, legibly and indelibly.

Remark:
(1) Annotation limit and regulations of the mercury and cadmium content limit is the same. And Hg symbols actually applies only to the button battery, Cd symbol is only applicable to exempt battery and accumulator, If mercury or cadmium content is more than limit, the other types of batteries or accumulators is prohibited the placing on the market of.
(2) Before September 26, 2008 on the market can continue to sell batteries, no time limit. Sales in the market after the date the battery should be accord with the requirement of new directive.
(3) according to the new cadmium limits, nickel cadmium batteries can't use except (exempt products), so can only use nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries or lithium ion (Li – ion) battery instead.
(4) the consumers also should be told the potential effect of these substances, the correct method of disposal, recovery and recycling program content in detail, and a symbolic meaning.
The difference of limited requirements between 2006/66/EC and 91/157/EC、98/101/EC

Revision of the directive
Directive 2008/12 / EC (released in March 11, 2008).The instructions for new battery directive 2006/66/EC of the commission's ambit was revised;
Directive 2008/103/EC (released on November 19, 2008).The instructions for the new battery directive 2006/66/EC of the battery and battery market was revised;
Commission decision 2008/763/EC: for end users to create a general calculation method of the portable battery and battery sales.