Associations warn of battery market stagnation

Bitkom, VDMA, and ZVEI warn of an impending standstill in the German battery market and demand an immediate enforcement moratorium for the new Battery Implementation Act (BattDG). Otherwise, from January 16, 2026, there could de facto be a sales stop for numerous batteries and battery-operated products, according to the associations. The associations state that there is currently only one certified producer responsibility organization (OfH) for device batteries, which is insufficient to accommodate all affected companies on time. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of batteries—including those for medical devices, industrial trucks, logistics vehicles, and numerous consumer products from household appliances to consumer electronics—could no longer be placed on the market. The impact on supply chains and market supply would be immediately felt. The associations cite the high security deposits required for OfH approval as one reason for the low number of certified organizations. While industry supports a legally compliant implementation of the BattDG, the practical prerequisites for a timely implementation are currently lacking. Bitkom, VDMA, and ZVEI are therefore calling on the Federal Environment Ministry to suspend the application of the new regulations for the time being and to impose an enforcement moratorium beyond January 15, 2026, to avoid serious market disruptions