The European Battery Alliance (EBA) was launched in 2017 by the European Commission, EU countries, industry, and the scientific community. Batteries are a strategic part of Europe's clean and digital transition and a key enabling technology, essential to the automotive sector's competitiveness. Therefore, the Commission aims to make Europe a global leader in sustainable battery production and use.
What the European Battery Alliance is and why it matters
In the spotlight
European Commission and U.S. Department of Energy support collaboration between the European Battery Alliance and U.S. Li-Bridge Alliance to strengthen supply chain for battery technologies.
Who can join and how
Supported by the Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Battery Alliance (EBA) brings together EU national authorities, regions, industry research institutes and other stakeholders in the battery value chain.
The Commission holds meetings with interested EU countries and oversees the work of the European Battery Alliance and the implementation of the strategic action plan for batteries. EIT InnoEnergy organises stakeholder involvement in the alliance on behalf of the Commission. In total, 440 industrial and innovation actors have already joined the alliance. In addition, InnoEnergy's business investment platform provides information and improves transactions between investees and investors.
Companies and organisations can get more information and join the alliance via the EBA250 contact page.
EU regions interested in collaboration on battery-related projects can join the Smart Specialisation Platform on Advanced Materials on Batteries.
Importance of compliance with EU competition law
What the alliance does
The European Battery Alliance aims to develop an innovative, competitive and sustainable battery value chain in Europe.
In 2018, the Commission adopted a strategic action plan for batteries. It sets out a comprehensive framework of regulatory and non-regulatory measures to support all segments of the battery value chain and includes the 6 priority areas below.
This happens through the European Investment Bank or the state aid instrument important projects of common European interest (IPCEI).
- First battery IPCEI approved in December 2019 - Website of the first battery IPCEI (non-EU institution website)
- Second battery IPCEI approved in January 2021
- Horizon 2020: Next-generation batteries calls, which brings together research and innovation on the next generations of batteries from various parts of Horizon 2020
- Batteries Europe, the EBA’s European technology and innovation platform
- Horizon Europe, which will include a battery partnership to allocate EU funding to research activities all along the value chain
- Battery 2030+, which will gather leading researchers in Europe to achieve major advances in battery science and technology
This is done through projects such as
The industry-led Automotive Skills Alliance was launched on 10 November 2020, under the Commission’s pact for skills initiative, creating an EU framework that supports local and regional initiatives re- and up-skilling European automotive workers. It supports the automotive sector to meet long-term restructuring requirements for the ongoing green and digital transition. This alliance will build on the work of DRIVES and ALBATTS.
For more information, please send an email to info
skills-alliance [dot] eu.
The Battery Regulation was proposed on 9 December 2020.
This entails frameworks, such as the clean energy strategy, mobility packages, EU trade policy, etc.
Background
In October 2017, Vice President Maros Šefčovič launched the European Battery Alliance together with EU countries and industry.
The alliance’s main aim is to build up battery technology and production capacity in the EU, which is crucial for low-emission mobility, energy storage, and Europe’s economic strategy. When launching the alliance, Europe had almost no battery cell manufacturing at scale. We only accounted for around 3% of the world market and faced a future with a mostly foreign-supplier-dependent EU. We expect that production in the EU will match demand by 2025. The alliance has attracted the industrial participation of some 440 actors and around €100 billion in investment commitments according to InnoEnergy.
In line with the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Industrial Strategy, we are working on a competitive, circular, sustainable and safe value chain for all batteries placed on the EU market. The European Battery Alliance integrates with the Commission’s interests.
EBA Interfaces
Green Deal
- Reach climate neutrality by 2050
- Reduce transport emissions by 90% in 2050
- Help companies become world leaders in clean products and technologies
European Industrial Policy
- Retain the EU as global centre for automotive & energy storage innovation and competitiveness
- Bolster Europe’s resilience and strategic autonomy in critical industrial sectors
- Support the creation & retention of skilled jobs in the EU
The growing use of batteries will play an essential role in ensuring the transition towards a climate neutral economy.
Timeline
- 24 May 20248th High-level meeting on the European Battery Alliance
- 1 March 20237th High-level meeting on the European Battery Alliance
- 23 February 20226th High-level meeting on the European Battery Alliance
- 12 March 20215th High-level meeting on the EU Battery Alliance
- 3 March 2021High-level meeting with industrial actors in the battery value chain
- 24-27 November 2020European Networking Conference on Batteries
- 14 October 2020Latest Meeting of the friends of the EU Battery Alliance in the EU Parliament
- 19 May 2020Meeting of the European Battery Alliance
Vice-President Šefčovič and EIB Vice-President McDowell met with members of the European Battery Alliance, discussing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the battery value chain, ways to contribute to the EU’s post- coronavirus recovery, and how to accelerate projects along the value chain to contribute to growth and jobs.
- 26 September 20194th High-level meeting on the EU Battery Alliance
- 15 October 2018The European Battery Alliance announces their progress within one year
Within a year of the launch, the Commission action plan is in place, the first pilot production facilities are being built and further projects are announced to establish the EU as the lead player in the strategic area of battery innovation and manufacturing.
- 16 May 2018Strategic action plan on batteries
The plan was developed in close consultation with stakeholders including industry and EU countries and building on the industry-led approach. It combines targeted measures at EU level including in raw materials, research and innovation, financing/investment, standardisation/regulatory, trade and skills development. These measures aim to make Europe a global leader in sustainable battery production and use, in the context of the circular economy.
- 22 - 23 February 2018Clean Energy Industrial Forum
As part of European Industry Day, the forum focused on the role that European industry can play in the clean energy transition.
- 12 February 20182nd high-level meeting on the EU Battery Alliance
- 11 October 20171st high-level meeting on the EU Battery Alliance
The launch of the European Battery Alliance by the European Commission with key industrial stakeholders, active EU countries and the European Investment Bank. This cooperative platform is aimed at facilitating the emergence of well-integrated and industry-led battery cell manufacturing projects.
Reports
EU Competitiveness of batteries and renewable hydrogen production through water electrolysis
The 2022 progress report on competitiveness of clean energy technologies accompanies the 2022 state of the energy union report. It maps the research, innovation and competitiveness aspects of the EU’s clean energy system as a whole, and presents the current and projected state of play for different clean and low-carbon energy technologies and solutions.
The report includes dedicated sections on ‘renewable hydrogen production through water electrolysis’, and ‘batteries’.
The competitiveness progress report's in-depth evidence-based analysis falls under the Clean Energy Technology Observatory, which also reports on ‘hydrogen electrolysis’ and ‘batteries for energy storage’.
See more on the Clean Energy Competitiveness page.
Contact
Policy-related questions: ec-battery-allianceec [dot] europa [dot] eu (ec-battery-alliance[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
You may submit questions on the work and organisation of the alliance via the European Battery Alliance contact page.