Eric Ruyters

EUCOBAT is the European association of national collection schemes for batteries. EUCOBAT members strive for a better environment by collecting ever more used batteries and recycling them ever more effectively, and they organise the collection, repurposing and recycling of used batteries as simply and efficiently as possible. In November 2023, Eric was appointed Secretary General of EUCOBAT. Together with the team at the EUCOBAT Secretariat in Brussels, he supports members across Europe in implementing the new EU Battery Regulation and represents their interests towards the European institutions. Eric joined EUCOBAT in September 2019, supporting its Policy Working Group on public affairs and strategic activities. He has been closely involved in the new Battery Regulation throughout its development — at European level with EUCOBAT and the EU Member States, and at national level as managing director of Stichting Batterijen, the Dutch producer responsibility organisation (PRO) for portable batteries, and of Stichting EPAC, the PRO for e-bike batteries in the Netherlands. Before moving into producer responsibility, Eric built extensive industry experience in consumer electronics and batteries, including more than ten years with Canon as European Account Director and as Country Director for the Netherlands. In the field of batteries, Eric was General Manager of Varta Consumer Batteries Benelux, where he also chaired the board of Stichting Batterijen in the Netherlands and served on the board of Bebat in Belgium.