EU: Commission’s proposal for universal battery charger. “A step against e-waste and consumer inconvenience”

Today, the Commission takes a step “against e-waste and consumer inconvenience, caused by the prevalence of different, incompatible chargers for electronic devices”. The announcement comes from the European Commission press office. “Years of working with industry on a voluntary approach already brought down the number of mobile phone chargers from 30 to 3 within the last decade, but could not deliver a complete solution. The Commission is now putting forward legislation to establish a common charging solution for all relevant devices”. With today’s proposal for a revised Radio Equipment Directive, the charging port and fast charging technology will be harmonised: “USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld videogame consoles”. The Commission is also proposing to unbundle the sale of chargers from the sale of electronic devices to “improve consumers’ convenience and reduce the environmental footprint associated with the production and disposal of chargers, thereby supporting the green and digital transitions”.
Valentina Bombelli