EU Battery Regulation requirements are entering an implementation phase as the shipment gap between South Korea’s top three battery makers and CATL widens in Europe. From Aug. 18, exporters to the EU must provide a general information label and QR code with details such as manufacturer data, plant location, weight, capacity and hazardous substances. Requirements will expand to carbon footprint grades, supply-chain due diligence, recycled content documents and battery passports, increasing compliance burdens on materials and parts suppliers.

Calls are growing to redefine the roles of policy finance and private finance and to change not only the scale of funding but also how it is allocated, as supply chain uncertainty and technology rivalry intensify. Speakers at a Seoul seminar said financial policy should be refined to support strategic industries, small manufacturers and early-stage innovators. They also cited the need to expand direct finance and venture capital, improve exit markets and strengthen expertise at financial institutions.