Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1116 of 26 May 2026 listing the products, components and waste streams considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252

• CELEX: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1116
• Articles: 3

Article 1

The products, components and waste streams listed in the Annex to this Regulation are considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential within the meaning of Article 26(1), points (b) and (c), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

ANNEX

List of products, components and waste streams that are considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential:

1.

Batteries, with the following components, in particular:

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Cathode active materials*

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Anode active materials*

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Cathode current collectors*

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Anode current collectors*

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Battery management systems

—

Internal cables

2.

Electrical and electronic equipment, with the following components, in particular:

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Permanent magnets

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Hard disk drives

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Compressors

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Displays (cathode ray tube, liquid crystal, thin film, plasma)

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Printed circuit boards

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Cables

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Photovoltaic cells

—

Photovoltaic frames

—

Remaining fraction after specific dismantling in pre-treatment  ( 1 )

3.

Wind turbines and related infrastructure, with the following components, in particular:

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Permanent magnets

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Generators

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Transformers

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Converters and inverters

—

Cables.

4.

Motor vehicles  ( 2 ) with the following components in particular:

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Permanent magnet traction motors

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Induction traction motors

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Non-traction electric motors

—

Electrical and electronic components subject to re-use, recycling or any other form of recovery under relevant Union acts in their valid version

—

Converters and inventers

—

Main wiring harnesses

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Fuel cells

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Catalytic converters

—

Wrought aluminium components and/or parts

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Cast aluminium components and/or parts

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Magnesium components and/or parts.

5.

Light means of transport.

6.

Energy infrastructure  ( 3 ) and telecommunication infrastructure  ( 4 ) .

7.

Industrial pumps.

8.

Industrial catalysts.

9.

Digestate and compost from separately collected biowaste.

10.

Sludges and ashes, in particular:

—

Sewage sludge from urban wastewater  ( 5 ) treatment

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Bottom and fly ashes resulting from the mono-incineration of sludges from the treatment of urban wastewater

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Bottom ashes from municipal solid waste incineration

—

Bottom ashes from commercial or industrial waste incineration

11.

Construction and demolition waste, particularly focusing on aluminium, aluminium alloys, copper, copper alloys and cables in buildings.

( 1 )   * These components can also be found as main constituents in a mixed fraction after specific end-of-life-treatment, e.g. black mass.

While not a component, the fraction of waste electrical and electronic equipment that remains after specific dismantling in pre-treatment typically contains high amounts of critical raw materials and may therefore be worth targeting in national circularity programmes.

( 2 )   As defined in Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, amending Regulations (EC) No 715/2007 and (EC) No 595/2009 and repealing Directive 2007/46/EC ( OJ L 151, 14.6.2018, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/858/oj ).

( 3 )   As defined in Article 2, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2022/869 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2022 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, amending Regulations (EC) No 715/2009, (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2019/943 and Directives 2009/73/EC and (EU) 2019/944, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 ( OJ L 152, 3.6.2022, p. 45 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/869/oj ).

( 4 )   Elements referred to in the definition of ‘physical infrastructure’ as defined in Article 2, point (2) of Directive 2014/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks ( OJ L 155, 23.5.2014, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/61/oj ) and in Article 2, point (4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1309 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2024 on measures to reduce the cost of deploying gigabit electronic communications networks, amending Regulation (EU) 2015/2120 and repealing Directive 2014/61/EU (Gigabit Infrastructure Act) ( OJ L, 2024/1309, 8.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1309/oj ).

Systems referred to in the definition of ‘electronic communications network’ as defined in Article 2, point (1) of Directive (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code ( OJ L 321, 17.12.2018, p. 36 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/1972/oj ).

( 5 )   As defined in Article 2, point (1), of Directive (EU) 2024/3019 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 concerning urban wastewater treatment ( OJ L, 2024/3019, 12.12.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/3019/oj ).