Batteries that do not meet rigorous green standards could be banned from the European market, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič warned on Monday (9 December), as the EU executive approved €3.2 billion of state aid for some home-grown projects.

The EU is working on environmental standards for batteries that aim to land the bloc a chunk of a market that could be worth a quarter of a trillion euros by 2025, under its so-called Battery Alliance.

On Monday (9 December), Šefčovič told reporters that battery imports from Southeast Asia could be excluded from the European market if they do not meet certain criteria, according to Euractiv.com.

When asked if changes to the EU legal framework might result in bans, the Slovak official said: “I think that if they would not respect the standards, then yes.” “We clearly have to do what other economies and markets are doing, we have to respect their standards,” the Commission VP said.