The European Parliament adopted by 582 votes to 40, with 37 abstentions, a resolution on a common charger for mobile radio equipment.
The text adopted in plenary had been tabled as a joint resolution by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups.
People now rely on their mobile devices in numerous daily situations. They rely on an easily chargeable mobile phone to quickly access essential services and vital tools such as means of payment, search engines, navigation devices, etc.
Consumers are still having to acquire different chargers when buying new devices from different sellers, and are obliged to buy a new charger when purchasing a new device from the same seller. For more than 10 years, Members of the European Parliament have been demanding a common charger for mobile radio equipment, including mobile phones, tablets, e-book readers, smart cameras, wearable electronics and other small or medium-sized electronic devices.
According to the resolution, the single market is not exploiting its full potential, and continuing fragmentation of the market for chargers for mobile phones and other small and medium-sized electronic devices translates into an increase in e-waste and consumer frustration.
The Commission has repeatedly postponed the delegated act supplementing Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment. The timely implementation of adopted EU legislation through concrete legislative steps is essential to the European Union’s credibility in the eyes of its citizens and on the international stage.
Around 50 million metric tons of e-waste is generated globally per year, with an average of more than 6 kg per person. Within the framework of the European Green Deal, Parliament called for an ambitious new circular economy action plan aiming to reduce the total environmental and resource footprint of EU production and consumption, with resource efficiency, zero pollution and waste prevention as key priorities.
Parliament strongly stressed that there is an urgent need for EU regulatory action to reduce electronic waste, empower consumers to make sustainable choices, and allow them to fully participate in an efficient and well-functioning internal market.
The Commission is called on to:
- publish without further delay the results of the impact assessment on the introduction of a common charger for mobile telephones and other compatible devices with a view to proposing mandatory provisions;
- take action to introduce the common charger by adopting the delegated act supplementing Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment defining a standard for a common charger for mobile phones and other small and medium-sized radio equipment by July 2020, or, if necessary, by adopting a legislative measure by July 2020 at the latest;
- ensure that the legislative framework for a common charger will be scrutinised regularly in order to take into account technical progress;
- take measures to best ensure the interoperability of different wireless chargers with different mobile radio equipment;
- consider legislative initiatives to increase the volume of cables and chargers collected and recycled in the Member States;
- ensure that consumers are no longer obliged to buy new chargers with each new device, thereby reducing the volume of chargers produced per year.