The EU's "Lithium Harmful Theory" Proposal Was Protested by Many Associations

SHANGHAI, Jul 6 (SMM) - It seems that new developments have emerged over a proposal by the European Chemicals Agency (EHCA) to classify "lithium carbonate, lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide as materials harmful to human health", which was being evaluated by the European Union earlier. It is reported that lobbying groups including the European Automobile and Industrial Battery Manufacturers Association (Eurobat), the International Lithium Association (ILiA) and the European Metals Association (Eurometaux) said in an open letter to EU officials that the move may stigmatize the use of lithium and reduce outside investment in the electric vehicle industry. Among them, Roland Chavasse, secretary-general of the International Lithium Industry Association, said that if the EU declares that these three lithium salts are toxic, there may be huge and unexpected negative consequences, and the long-term viability of lithium production, refining, use and recycling in the EU will be questioned.  It is worth mentioning that the industry generally believes that although this proposal does not directly prohibit the import of lithium, if it is finally implemented into law, it will make the processing, packaging and storage of lithium-related products more stringent, thereby increasing the cost of lithium processors. As soon as the proposal was exposed, a number of lithium metal and lithium battery producers, including the world's largest lithium producer Albemarle, warned the EU that the proposal could seriously damage the booming electric vehicle industry in Europe. Albemarle even said that if the proposal were to become law, the company's Langelsheim plant in Germany would have to close. On June 29, EU countries just reached an agreement on a proposal to address climate change, unanimously supporting the goal of "achieving zero carbon emissions from vehicles by 2035", and will no longer sell fuel vehicles. Undoubtedly, at a time when the European electric vehicle industry is booming, the proposal of the "Lithium Harmful Theory" will hinder the localization of the EU battery supply chain and the development of power battery recycling.