Get rid of useless chargers

“While we have waited for more than a decade for this law proposal from the European Commission, I am pleased that it is finally happening”, said Andrey Kovatchev MEP, ahead of today's vote in Parliament’s Internal Market Committee on the planned harmonisation of chargers for all small and medium-sized electronic devices.

“The new rules will significantly make the lives of European customers easier and save them money. The biggest benefit, however, is the environmental one - it is time to put an end to the piles of cables that we all have in our homes”, said Kovatchev.

From mid-2024 onwards, the new law should harmonise charging ports and charging technology. USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and other devices. Kovatchev negotiated the law text on behalf of the EPP Group.

“Our approach is very ambitious: we want the list of types of devices covered by the common charger to be significantly increased, without hampering innovation. The European Parliament wants devices such as tablets, e-readers, laptops, digital cameras, smart watches, headphones and electronic toys to be included. We also want customers to have more freedom - to have the choice if they want to buy a device without any charger or cable. Last, but not least, we aim to provide customers and manufacturers with clear, easy-to-understand labels on the type of charger included (or not) with the particular devices”, explained Kovatchev.

Electrical and electronic equipment continues to be one of the fastest growing waste streams in the EU. As every EU citizen produces on average approximately 16kg of e-waste per year, the new law introducing a common charger would bring a cleaner environment, would simplify life for European consumers and will save money.