European Union: imminent negotiations on the single charger

Negotiations on the single charger for smartphones will begin. A project for which the European Parliament has been advocating for almost a decade.

Will a compromise finally be found regarding the issue of the single charger for smartphones, a subject that has divided the European Union for several months? What is confirmed is that negotiations between the European Parliament and Member States on the Brussels project for a universal charger for smartphones, tablets or consoles and portable speakers will begin. At least that is what Parliament announced on Wednesday.

“Parliament is now ready to enter into negotiations with EU governments on the final form of legislation,” the institution said during its plenary session in Strasbourg. Note that the institution wishes to see this measure extended to computers and harmonized wireless charging techniques by the end of 2026, unlike the Commission. Parliament is also calling for clear labels to better inform consumers about charging options. Overall, Parliament has been advocating for a common charger for portable devices for ten years.

“While some companies have forged ahead and voluntarily introduced initiatives to reduce the number of charger types, this remains insufficient to allow the EU to meet its e-waste reduction targets,” notes the European Parliament.

The parliamentarians also call for the harmonization of wireless charging solutions and integration of the most appropriate technologies or relevant standards into legislation, the improvement of market surveillance, including safeguards against non-compliant products or the non – compliance with information obligations, and monitoring of new technologies to examine the application of laws to new charging technologies.

They also want to give EU countries one year to implement the new law instead of two years, as proposed by the Commission. It should be recalled that the European Commission had proposed, last September, a regulation for a universal charger, in the name of the rights of the environment and of consumers, obliged to accumulate incompatible chargers for their various portable devices.

Such legislation, which must have the approval of both Parliament – in favor of this subject for years – and of the Member States, has so far always come up against the reluctance of the industry, Apple in the lead. From around thirty types of chargers in 2009, they have now fallen to three: the Micro USB connector which has long been fitted to the majority of telephones, USB-C, a more recent connection, and the Lightning used by Apple .

Brussels wants to impose the USB-C port on all small and medium-sized electronic devices and decouple the sale of devices from that of chargers – which would allow any charger to be used indiscriminately, while the harmonization of fast charging technologies would guarantee the same charging speed, avoiding it being restricted when used with a device of a different brand.

With Agencies / ECO Inspirations