The Green Mobility Magazine sat down with Marta Roche Díez, Sustainability and Environmental Regulations Manager at CLEPA, to discuss how Europe’s automotive suppliers are embracing circular economy principles, preparing for battery regulation, managing the green skills transition, and navigating the balance between climate ambition and industrial competitiveness.
Circularity in the automotive sector: Beyond the End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation (ELVR), how is the industry adapting to circular economy principles in design, manufacturing, and after-use?
The automotive supply industry is moving beyond traditional end-of-life obligations, making circularity a design principle rather than a final step. With deep expertise in sustainable design and responsible sourcing, suppliers are driving a forward-looking approach to resource efficiency. This includes integrating recycled materials, enabling disassembly, and ensuring the long-term durability of components. CLEPA is actively engaged in the revision of the ELVR to ensure the policy framework reflects this shift, enabling circular business models to scale sustainably while ensuring competitiveness.
Battery supply chains and sustainability: With growing EV demand, how is CLEPA viewing upcoming legislation on responsible sourcing and recycling of battery materials?
The growing electric vehicle (EV) production means that battery sustainability becomes a core issue, not only in terms of environmental goals but also for securing Europe’s industrial competitiveness. This is why we call for a battery legislation that is ambitious yet workable for industry.
The current EU Battery Regulation requires battery producers and suppliers to meet strict standards for recycling, re-use, and recovery of raw materials (e.g. lithium, cobalt, nickel). However, the legislation also focuses on waste management, which is no coincidence, of course. As volumes grow, so does the urgency to manage battery waste in a way that’s safe, circular, and economically viable. But it’s not just about end-of-life; we also need clear, consistent, and practical rules for the early stages of the battery value chain.
Current EU rules aim to measure how environmentally friendly batteries are, from how they’re made to the energy they use. That’s a good goal, but the way the rules are set up right now isn’t very practical. For example, companies aren’t allowed to count the renewable energy they’ve bought through long-term contracts in their carbon footprint declaration. This makes it harder for suppliers to show the progress they’re making to go green. We support the push for cleaner batteries, but the rules need to reflect how things actually work in industry. What’s needed is a smart approach that encourages innovation, gives companies some flexibility, and helps hit climate and environmental goals, without making it harder for European suppliers to compete.
Alignment between transport decarbonisation and competitiveness: How can sustainability goals be reconciled with maintaining Europe’s industrial leadership?
This is a core question for Europe’s future. Competitiveness and climate ambition can go hand in hand, via a regulatory framework that fosters our industry excellence. The key is in striking the right policy balance. Our members are global technology leaders, and they are investing heavily in decarbonisation: from electrification to hydrogen to innovative powertrains. But maintaining that leadership requires a supportive environment with clear timelines, investment incentives, and openness to multiple technology pathways. We need to avoid regulatory overreach that forces narrow solutions and hinders innovation.
Skills and workforce transition: What workforce and skills challenges does the shift to greener technologies pose for the automotive supply industry?
The transition is not just technological, it’s also human. Electrification and digitalisation are transforming what people do and how they do it. For suppliers, that means a deep shift in skill sets across engineering, production, and even after-sales. We estimate that while many traditional roles will disappear, new roles will emerge, especially in battery systems, power electronics, and software. The challenge is to ensure that workers are not left behind. That’s why CLEPA is calling for a ‘Just Transition’- framework that supports upskilling, regional reconversion, and cross-sector mobility. Many companies are already leading this effort, investing in training, working with educational institutions, and rethinking their workforce strategies. But this needs to be a shared responsibility, with strong backing from the EU and national policymakers.
