ELV Forum launched to shape workable EPR rules

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ELV FORUM

The ELV Forum has been formally established as a Brussels-based international non-profit to help shape workable and enforceable extended producer responsibility rules for end-of-life vehicles. Backed initially by Febelauto and ARN, it gives producer responsibility organisations and other stakeholders a structured platform to coordinate practical input on the incoming EU ELV Regulation.

An International Platform of stakeholders, including some of them individual or collective Producer Responsible Organisations, with the aim of obtaining workable and enforceable Extended Producer Responsibilities for end-of-life vehicles

After nearly four years of intensive discussions between stakeholders and organisations active in the field of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for vehicles on an informal basis, this cooperation has today been formally consolidated through the establishment of the ELV Forum IVZW, a new International Non-Profit Association under Belgian law.

The initiative to establish the ELV Forum was taken by the Belgian and Dutch producer responsibility organisations Febelauto and ARN. With this step, they send a clear European and international signal in view of the upcoming entry into force of the new End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR).

A Formal Framework for European and International Cooperation

Based in Brussels, ELV Forum has a distinct European and international character.

With the new ELV Regulation approaching and a series of delegated acts expected in the coming years, the member organisations aim to jointly contribute to workable, practical and enforceable legislation. The Forum provides a structured platform for the exchange of practical experience and expertise in implementing ELV legislation, as well as related policy and regulatory developments.

By creating a formal framework for cooperation, the participating organisations strengthen coordination at the European and international level and enhance their collective contribution to the development and implementation of ELV policy.

Objective and Scope

ELV Forum serves as a European and international platform for coordination, knowledge sharing, and cooperation among organisations active in the field of Extended Producer Responsibility for vehicles, as well as other relevant stakeholders involved in implementing ELV legislation.

Its primary objective is to contribute, in a structured and authoritative manner, to the development of workable, enforceable, and future-proof regulatory and policy frameworks concerning end-of-life vehicles.

The association focuses in particular on the ELV Regulation and related European and international regulatory and policy developments. As a non-profit organisation, it dedicates all its activities and resources exclusively to this shared objective.

Founding Members

The following organisations have already expressed their interest in joining the ELV Forum:

ADA (Italy)
AMVH (Greece)
ARN (The Netherlands)
Autorecycling (Slovakia)
Autokierrätys (Finland)
CarTakeBack (United Kingdom)
Dansk Bil-Retur (Denmark)
Ecorauto (Luxembourg)
ELVES (Ireland)
Febelauto (Belgium)
Öcar (Austria)
Scholz Recycling Polska (Poland)
Sigrauto (Spain)
Stiftung Autorecycling (Switzerland)
Valorauto (France)
Valorcar (Portugal)

Core Activities

In pursuit of its objective, the association undertakes the following core activities:

Representing and communicating common positions and initiatives of its members at European and international level, particularly in the context of policymaking and legislative processes;
Providing practice-oriented input to regulatory processes, with a focus on effective implementation and enforcement;
Facilitating cooperation and exchange among members through consultation structures and thematic working groups;
Collecting, analysing and sharing relevant knowledge and information to support a coherent and well-founded European approach.

Membership Categories

ELV Forum IVZW distinguishes between two categories of membership:

Core members are exclusively collective producer responsibility organisations recognised by their national competent authority and compliant with the requirements set out in the ELV Regulation. They fall under the definition in the ELV Regulation proposal as “a legal entity that financially or operationally ensures the fulfilment of extended producer responsibility obligations on behalf of multiple producers.”

Associated members are natural persons or legal entities active within or around the association’s relevant field of activity. Associate members contribute their expertise, knowledge, and experience through participation in meetings and working groups, and may provide comments on draft positions, while not holding voting rights or formal decision-making powers.

With the establishment of ELV Forum IVZW, the participating organisations take an important step towards the coordinated, transparent and forward-looking implementation of European and international ELV legislation. By pooling expertise and constructively contributing to the legislative process, they aim to help build a circular and well-functioning market for end-of-life vehicles.