South Africa’s Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) has called on the department of trade, industry & competition to urgently establish a worker-centred regulatory framework for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), saying it could protect existing jobs while creating thousands more.Misa CEO of operations Martlé Keyter said the union presented its position at a department workshop in Sandton attended by key automotive industry stakeholders and a delegation from Japan’s ministry of economy, trade & industry.An ELV framework would establish legal requirements for vehicles at the end of their useful lives to be depolluted, dismantled and recycled.The association says South Africa risks losing access to its biggest export market without such a framework. About three-quarters of vehicles exported from South Africa are destined for Europe, where the EU is introducing new vehicle circularity rules requiring greater use of recycled materials, circular vehicle design and greater responsibility from car manufacturers across the vehicle lifecycle.Failure to align with the rules could threaten South Africa’s vehicle exports to Europe, putting export revenue of R291bn and hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk, Misa says.The automotive sector contributes 5.2% to South Africa’s GDP and supports close to 500,000 formal jobs across the value chain.Misa, the retail motor industry’s largest trade union, says an ELV framework should not only protect exports but also create formal employment with enforceable wage floors, collective bargaining coverage and occupational health and safety standards.“Misa will not accept a framework that treats workers as an afterthought. Every dismantler, recycler and technician must have safe working conditions, recognised qualifications and career pathways. This is about protecting livelihoods today and building sustainable jobs for tomorrow,” says Keyter.The union has also called for transition support for informal operators and existing workers, saying that formalisation should help bring workers into the formal economy.Misa has asked Japan to share expertise on worker safety, training systems and the viability of small dismantling businesses. Japan’s Automobile Recycling Law supports thousands of small enterprises and has achieved recovery rates of close to 99%, according to Misa.The push comes as the EU moves to tighten its rules governing vehicle circularity and ELVs.In June, the European Council formally adopted a regulation covering circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of ELVs. More than 6-million ELVs are generated in the EU each year, creating environmental pollution.The EU says the automotive manufacturing industry is one of the region’s most resource-intensive sectors and among its largest consumers of primary raw materials.Under the new rules, vehicles must be designed and produced to facilitate their reuse, recycling and recovery. New vehicles will have to contain at least 15% recycled plastic by 2032, rising to 25% by 2036. Additional targets for recycled steel and aluminium will take effect from 2033.Vehicles will also have to be designed to allow easier removal of components, with electric motors and batteries remaining removable throughout their lifespan.Carmakers will bear financial and organisational responsibility for the full lifecycle of vehicles, including free take-back and disposal for final owners.The regulation also bans the export of non-roadworthy used vehicles to prevent illegal dumping or poorly managed waste outside the EU.Business Day