Date: 2026-05-27Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1116 of 26 May 2026 listing the products, components and waste streams considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
**Executive Summary**
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1116, adopted on 26 May 2026, establishes a list of products, components, and waste streams with high critical raw materials recovery potential. This list serves as a reference for Member States to develop national circularity programs under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252. The regulation enters into force on 16 June 2026 (the twentieth day following its publication).
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Regulatory Purpose and Scope**
* **National Circularity Reference:** The document provides a standardized list of items that Member States must consider when adopting national programs to increase the circularity of critical raw materials.
* **Non-Exhaustive Nature:** While the list serves as a primary reference, Member States are permitted to include additional products, components, and waste streams in their national practices.
* **Exclusion of Extractive Waste:** Extractive waste is specifically excluded from this regulation as it is already governed by Article 27 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.
**Prioritised Products and Components**
* **Batteries:** Includes cathode and anode active materials, current collectors, battery management systems, and internal cables.
* **Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE):** Focuses on permanent magnets, hard disk drives, compressors, displays (CRT, LCD, plasma), printed circuit boards, and photovoltaic cells and frames.
* **Energy and Transport Infrastructure:** Includes wind turbines (generators, transformers, converters), light means of transport, and general energy/telecommunication infrastructure.
* **Motor Vehicles:** Targets traction motors (permanent magnet and induction), non-traction electric motors, fuel cells, catalytic converters, and specific aluminium or magnesium components.
**Waste Streams and Industrial Categories**
* **Sludges and Ashes:** Specifically sewage sludge from urban wastewater treatment and various bottom and fly ashes from incineration (urban, industrial, and commercial).
* **Construction and Demolition:** Focuses on the recovery of aluminium, copper, their respective alloys, and cables found in buildings.
* **Industrial and Bio-Waste:** Includes industrial pumps, industrial catalysts, and digestate or compost derived from separately collected biowaste.
**Administrative Provisions**
* **Technological Updates:** The Commission reserves the right to update the list to reflect future technological advancements and market conditions.
* **Direct Applicability:** The regulation is binding in its entirety and applies directly to all Member States without the need for national transposition.
**Impact Analysis**
**EU Member States**
**Impact**
Member States are legally required to use the provided list as the basis for their national programmes designed to improve the recovery of critical raw materials.
**Action Required**
Competent authorities must incorporate the listed products, components, and waste streams into their national circularity measures and programs.
**European Commission**
**Impact**
The Commission is responsible for maintaining the relevance of the list in relation to market and technical changes.
**Action Required**
The Commission must monitor technological and regulatory developments to determine when updates to the implementing act are appropriate.
**Waste Management and Recycling Industries**
**Impact**
The identification of these specific streams signals a regulatory focus on dismantling and pre-treatment of complex waste (e.g., "black mass" or mixed fractions from electronics).
**Action Required**
Operators must ensure they have the technical capacity to target the recovery of critical raw materials from the specific components listed, such as permanent magnets and circuit boards.
Key Entities Referenced
Regulation (EU) 2024/1252: The parent regulation establishing a framework for the secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, also known as the Critical Raw Materials Act.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1116: The specific legislative act listing products, components, and waste streams with significant critical raw materials recovery potential.
Committee on the Implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act: The regulatory body established to provide opinions and oversee measures related to the circularity and recovery of critical raw materials.
European Commission: The primary executive body responsible for adopting the list of recovery-potential waste streams and updating the implementing act.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2026/1116 27.5.2026
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION(EU) 2026/1116
of 26 May 2026
listing the products, components and waste streams considered as having a relevant critical raw
materials recovery potential under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing
a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU)
No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020(1), and in particular Article 26(7) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Article 26(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 requires Member States to adopt national programmes containing
measures designed to increase the circularity of critical raw materials.
(2) Pursuant to Article 26(7) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, the Commission is to list the products, components and
waste streams that are considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential. That list should serve
as a reference for the scope of the national measures referred to Article 26(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252. The list
should not prevent Member States from considering additional products, components and waste streams for critical
raw materials recovery in the context of their national circularity practices.
(3) The list provided for in the Annex to this Regulation contains the list of products, components and waste streams that
the Commission considers as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential, taking into account the
criteria referred to in Article 26(7), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.
(4) The list reflects the current state of technological development and market conditions relevant for the recovery of
critical raw materials. In light of future technological and regulatory developments, the Commission may, where
appropriate, update this implementing act.
(5) Extractive waste is not included in that list, since measures designed to promote the recovery of critical raw materials
from extractive waste are already covered by Article 27 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.
(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on the
Implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act established by Article 39(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
The products, components and waste streams listed in the Annex to this Regulation are considered as having a relevant
critical raw materials recovery potential within the meaning of Article 26(1), points (b) and (c), of Regulation
(EU) 2024/1252.
(1) OJ L, 2024/1252, 3.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/oj.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1116/oj 1/4EN
OJ L, 27.5.2026
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 26 May 2026.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN
2/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1116/ojEN
OJ L, 27.5.2026
ANNEX
List of products, components and waste streams that are considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery
potential:
1. Batteries, with the following components, in particular:
— Cathode active materials*
— Anode active materials*
— Cathode current collectors*
— Anode current collectors*
— Battery management systems
— Internal cables
2. Electrical and electronic equipment, with the following components, in particular:
— Permanent magnets
— Hard disk drives
— Compressors
— Displays (cathode ray tube, liquid crystal, thin film, plasma)
— Printed circuit boards
— Cables
— Photovoltaic cells
— Photovoltaic frames
— Remaining fraction after specific dismantling in pre-treatment(1)
3. Wind turbines and related infrastructure, with the following components, in particular:
— Permanent magnets
— Generators
— Transformers
— Converters and inverters
— Cables.
4. Motor vehicles(2)with the following components in particular:
— Permanent magnet traction motors
— Induction traction motors
— Non-traction electric motors
(1) * These components can also be found as main constituents in a mixed fraction after specific end-of-life-treatment, e.g. black mass.
While not a component, the fraction of waste electrical and electronic equipment that remains after specific dismantling in pre-
treatment typically contains high amounts of critical raw materials and may therefore be worth targeting in national circularity
programmes.
(2) As defined in Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the approval and market
surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles,
amending Regulations (EC) No 715/2007 and (EC) No 595/2009 and repealing Directive 2007/46/EC (OJ L 151, 14.6.2018, p. 1, ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/858/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1116/oj 3/4EN
OJ L, 27.5.2026
— Electrical and electronic components subject to re-use, recycling or any other form of recovery under relevant
Union acts in their valid version
— Converters and inventers
— Main wiring harnesses
— Fuel cells
— Catalytic converters
— Wrought aluminium components and/or parts
— Cast aluminium components and/or parts
— Magnesium components and/or parts.
5. Light means of transport.
6. Energy infrastructure(3)and telecommunication infrastructure(4).
7. Industrial pumps.
8. Industrial catalysts.
9. Digestate and compost from separately collected biowaste.
10. Sludges and ashes, in particular:
— Sewage sludge from urban wastewater(5)treatment
— Bottom and fly ashes resulting from the mono-incineration of sludges from the treatment of urban wastewater
— Bottom ashes from municipal solid waste incineration
— Bottom ashes from commercial or industrial waste incineration
11. Construction and demolition waste, particularly focusing on aluminium, aluminium alloys, copper, copper alloys and
cables in buildings.
(3) As defined in Article 2, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2022/869 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2022 on
guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, amending Regulations (EC) No 715/2009, (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2019/943
and Directives 2009/73/EC and (EU) 2019/944, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 (OJ L 152, 3.6.2022, p. 45, ELI: http://
data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/869/oj).
(4) Elements referred to in the definition of ‘physical infrastructure’ as defined in Article 2, point (2) of Directive 2014/61/EU of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic
communications networks (OJ L 155, 23.5.2014, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/61/oj) and in Article 2, point (4) of
Regulation (EU) 2024/1309 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2024 on measures to reduce the cost of
deploying gigabit electronic communications networks, amending Regulation (EU) 2015/2120 and repealing Directive 2014/61/EU
(Gigabit Infrastructure Act) (OJ L, 2024/1309, 8.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1309/oj).
Systems referred to in the definition of ‘electronic communications network’ as defined in Article 2, point (1) of Directive
(EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 establishing the European Electronic
Communications Code (OJ L 321, 17.12.2018, p. 36, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/1972/oj).
(5) As defined in Article 2, point (1), of Directive (EU) 2024/3019 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024
concerning urban wastewater treatment (OJ L, 2024/3019, 12.12.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/3019/oj).
4/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1116/oj