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1. From 18 August 2025, economic operators that place batteries on the market or put them into service shall fulfil the due diligence obligations laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article, and in Articles 49, 50 and 52 and shall, to that end, set up and implement battery due diligence policies.

2. Economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall have their battery due diligence policies verified by a notified body in accordance with Article 51 (‘third-party verification’) and periodically audited by that notified body to make sure that the battery due diligence policies are maintained and applied in accordance with Articles 49, 50 and 52. The notified body shall provide the audited economic operator with an audit report.

3. Economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall keep documentation demonstrating their fulfilment of the obligations laid down in Articles 49, 50 and 52, including the verification report and approval decision referred to in Article 51 and the audit reports referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, for 10 years after the last battery manufactured under the relevant battery due diligence policy has been placed on the market.

4. Without prejudice to the individual responsibility of economic operators for their battery due diligence policies, economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article may, for the purposes of compliance with the requirements laid down in Articles 48, 49, 50 and 52, collaborate with other actors, including through due diligence schemes recognised under this Regulation.

5. By 18 February 2025, the Commission shall publish guidelines as regards the application of the due diligence requirements laid down in Articles 49 and 50, with regard to the risks referred to in point 2 of Annex X, and in line, in particular, with the international instruments referred to in points 3 and 4 of Annex X.

6. Member States may, in order to provide information and support to economic operators in fulfilling the due diligence obligations under this Regulation, set up and operate, individually or jointly, dedicated websites, platforms or portals.

7. The Commission may complement the Member State support measures referred to in paragraph 6, by building on existing Union action to support due diligence in the Union and in third countries, and may devise new measures to help economic operators fulfil their obligations under this Regulation.

8. The Commission shall regularly assess the need to update the list of raw materials and risk categories set out in Annex X. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to:

(a) amend the list of raw materials in point 1 of Annex X and of risk categories in point 2 of Annex X, in view of scientific and technological progress in battery manufacturing and chemistries and amendments to Regulation (EU) 2017/821;

(b) amend the list of international instruments in point 3 of Annex X, in accordance with developments within the relevant international fora concerning standards related to due diligence policies and to protection of the environment and of social rights;

(c) amend the obligations on the economic operators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article which are laid down in Articles 49 and 50 in view of amendments to Regulation (EU) 2017/821, and amend the list of internationally recognised due diligence instruments set out in point 4 of Annex X.