Member states agreed on a negotiating mandate for the common charger proposal. The proposal aims to makes sure that it is no longer needed to buy a new charger every time you purchase a new mobile phone or similar item and that all devices can be recharged using the same charger. The EU is working on a draft legislation that proposes a common standard port for all smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, portable speakers and video game consoles.
The Commission proposed to introduce new requirements to ensure the interoperability for the charging of a number of electronic devices. In particular, the Commission proposes to harmonize the charging port: USB-C will become the standard one for all devices covered; to harmonize the fast charging technology; to give consumers the possibility of choosing whether to purchase a new electronic device with or without a new charger; to inform consumers about charging characteristics of the electronic devices.
Reducing stress, costs and waste
The proposal will improve consumer convenience by harmonising charging interfaces and fast charging technology. With this new law, the sale of chargers will be unbundled from the sale of electronic devices, so that a new charger will not necessarily be included when buying a new device. This will reduce the electronic waste associated with the production, transportation and disposal of chargers. Disposed of and unused chargers are estimated to represent about 11,000 tons of e-waste annually. A common charging solution is expected to re duce this by almost a thousand tons annually.
At the same time, the current situation is inconvenient and costly for consumers, who spend approximately 2.4 billion euro annually on standalone chargers that do not come with their electronic devices. In the European Union, approximately 420 million mobile phones and other portable electronic devices are sold per year.
To improve consumer information, the Council added an annex to the proposal with a pictogram indicating whether a charging device is offered together with the device, as well as a label indicating charging specifications. The Council text also clarifies technical specifications for a common charger.
The proposal for a common charger was tabled by the European Commission on 23 September 2021. After the mandate was approved by ambassadors in the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), the Council presidency is allowed to start negotiations with the European Parliament once the European Parliament agrees its position. The proposal will enter into force 24 months from the date of adoption to give industry ample time to adapt before the entry into application, which means not earlier than the beginning of 2024.