Amendment to the Waste Catalogue: Changes for the Battery Sector Under Preparation

The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic has launched the preliminary phase of an amendment to the Waste Catalogue Decree, reflecting significant developments in European battery legislation. The objective of the upcoming amendment is to align the Slovak legal framework with the updated EU List of Waste, which takes into account new battery chemistries, the rapidly evolving market, and the need for more precise classification and recycling.

The amendment implements Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2025/934, which updates the EU List of Waste with regard to battery-related waste. These changes will apply from 9 November 2026, and Slovakia is required to transpose them into national legislation by this deadline. The inter-ministerial consultation process is expected to take place in March 2026.

The proposed amendment will introduce new and revised waste codes across the entire battery lifecycle – from production waste, through waste batteries and their components, to waste generated during treatment processes. The main objective is to improve the identification and classification of individual waste streams and to support more efficient waste management, including recycling and reporting.

For battery producers, the amendment will have practical implications particularly in the areas of waste record-keeping and reporting. Following its adoption, permitting authorities will update existing waste management permits to ensure alignment with the revised Waste Catalogue and the EU List of Waste.

We therefore recommend reviewing internal waste record-keeping processes in advance and preparing for changes related to new classifications and reporting requirements.

Preliminary information is available HERE.