End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulations

The EC ELV Directive aims to reduce the amount of waste from vehicles (cars and light goods vehicles) when they are finally scrapped. In particular, it includes tightened environmental standards for vehicle treatment sites, requires that last owners must be able to dispose of their vehicles free of charge and sets rising reuse, recycling and recovery targets and restricts the use of hazardous substances in both new vehicles and replacement vehicle parts.

The UK has transposed the Directive through its ELV Regulations 2003 and 2005.

The 2003 Regulations put in place most of the requirements of the Directive, including the improved standards for vehicle treatment sites, some new technical standards that apply to new vehicles and the establishment of a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) system.

The remaining provisions were the subject of the 2005 Regulations which set out the requirements for vehicle producers to have available networks of facilities where last owners of their brands of vehicles may take them for treatment at the end of their lives. These facilities were required to provide this service free of charge from 1 January 2007 (where vehicles are largely complete and have not had extra waste added).

Useful documents

General

• The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (external link)
• ELV (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 (external link)
• End of life vehicles regulations 2003 - SI 2365 - DTI guidance notes covering parts I to VI of the regulations (PDF, 4000KB)
• The end-of-life vehicles (producer responsibility) regulations 2005. SI 2005, no. 263. DTI guidance notes (PDF, 81KB)
• Full regulatory impact assessment (RIA) for End of Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 (PDF, 168KB)
• De-polluting end-of-life vehicles: guidance for authorised treatment facilities (PDF, 1504KB)

Public register

A public register is available showing whether vehicle producers have met their obligation to meet the 2006 re-use, recovery and recycling target of at least 85% for vehicles of their brands.

Public Register showing whether vehicle producers have met their ELV obligation (PDF, 718KB)

Technical Adaptation Committee

Notes on Technical Adaptation Committee meetings between all EU Member States:

• Note of Technical Adaption Committee meeting 7 March 2008 (PDF, 278KB)
• A short note of the Technical Adaptation Committee meeting held in Brussels on 11 May 2009 (PDF, 18KB)

Explanatory Memoranda

Explanatory Memoranda (EM) are submitted to Parliament to explain the content and implications of all new policy proposals. This EM provides further background for interested stakeholders and is part of the Government's response to the Better Regulation Task Force Report "Environmental Legislation - Getting the Message Across".

Explanatory Memorandum (EM) on amended proposal for ELV Directive (April 2000) (PDF, 947KB)

Data Required to Monitor Compliance with the ELV Directive

Study commissioned by Defra in 2002.

• Data Required to Monitor Compliance with the ELV Directive - Part I (PDF) provides mass balance data on ELV arisings and processing during 2000.
• Data Required to Monitor Compliance with the ELV Directive - Part II (PDF) attempts to identify the data that will be required to monitor compliance with the ELV Directive.

Shredder Trial study

Report on BIS-funded trial to establish the average metal content of ELVs arising in the UK.

A study to determine the metallic fraction recovered from the end of life vehicles in the UK (PDF)

Contact

Peter Cottrell,
Sustainable Development & Regulation Directorate
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
1 Victoria Street
London, SW1H 0ET

Tel: 020 7215 1330
Email: peter.cottrell@bis.gsi.gov.uk

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