12.6.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 151/9 COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 493/2012 of 11 June 2012 laying down, pursuant to Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, detailed rules regarding the calculation of recycling efficiencies of the recycling processes of waste batteries and accumulators (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumu- lators and repealing Directive 91/157/EEC (1), and in particular Article 12(6)(a) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Recycling processes which, as part of a sequence or as standalone processes, recycle waste lead-acid, nickel- cadmium and other batteries and accumulators should achieve the minimum recycling efficiencies set out in Annex III, Part B to Directive 2006/66/EC. (2)  Detailed rules supplementing Annex III, Part B to Directive 2006/66/EC should be laid down for calcu- lating recycling efficiencies. (3) It is appropriate to define the recycling process as one which starts after collection and possible sorting and/or preparation for recycling of the waste batteries and accumulators received by a recycling facility and finishes when output fractions are produced to be used for their original purpose or for other purposes without undergoing further treatment and have ceased to be waste. In order to encourage the improvement of existing and development of new recycling and treatment technologies, the recycling efficiencies should be achieved by each recycling process. (4) It is necessary to define the preparation for recycling as a preliminary operation prior to recycling in order to distinguish it from the recycling process of waste batteries and accumulators. (5)  The recycling efficiencies of the recycling processes of waste Dbatteries and accumulators should be calculated by reference to the chemical composition of the input and output fractions and having regard to the latest technical and scientific developments and made publicly available. (6) It is necessary to harmonise the information to be reported by recyclers in order to monitor compliance with the recycling efficiency requirements across the European Union. () O] L 266, 26.9.2006, p. 1. (7)  Recyclers of waste batteries and accumulators need at least 18 months to adapt their technological processes to the new recycling efficiencies calculation requirements. (8)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee estab- lished by Article 39 of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (3, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Atticle 1 Scope This Regulation shall apply to the recycling processes carried out to waste batteries and accumulators from 1 January 2014. Article 2 Definitions For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply: (1) ‘recycling process’ means any reprocessing operation as referred to in Article 3(8) of Directive 2006/66/EC which is carried out on waste lead-acid, nickel-cadmium and other batteries and accumulators and results in the production of output fractions as defined in point 5 of this Article. The recycling process does not include sorting andfor prep- aration for recycling/disposal and may be carried out in a single facility or in several facilities; B ‘preparation for recycling’ means treatment of waste batteries andfor accumulators prior to any recycling process, which shall, inter alia, include storage, handling, dismantling of battery packs or separation of fractions that are not part of the battery or accumulator itself; — W = ‘recycling efficiency’ of a recycling process means the ratio obtained by dividing the mass of output fractions accounting for recycling by the mass of the waste batteries and accumulators input fraction expressed as a percentage; (4) ‘input fraction’ means the mass of collected waste batteries and accumulators entering the recycling process as defined in Annex [; () OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3.