Battery Regulation: EU to Postpone Due Diligence Obligations

The European Union institutions are advancing a legislative proposal to postpone the implementation of supply chain due diligence obligations under the EU Batteries Regulation. The proposal, part of the wider "Omnibus IV" package introduced on May 21, 2025, would defer the compliance deadline by two years, from August 18, 2025, to August 18, 2027.

This postponement is intended to provide the industry with additional time to prepare for the regulation's extensive requirements. These obligations mandate that economic operators identify, prevent, and address social and environmental risks within their supply chains for raw materials such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and natural graphite.

On June 19, 2025, the Council of the EU formally adopted its position in support of the postponement, a critical step that enables accelerated negotiations with the European Parliament. EU co-legislators are treating the measure with urgency to provide legal certainty for affected businesses as the original deadline neared.

While the postponement offers a revised implementation timeline, the substantive due diligence requirements remain unchanged. Companies in the battery value chain are advised to use this additional period to establish robust traceability and risk management systems that will be necessary to demonstrate compliance by the new 2027 deadline.