MEP Alex Agius Saliba kicks off discussions on the common charger law

MEP Alex Agius Saliba, who will steer the legislation for a common charger for electronic devices through the European Parliament, had the first exchange of views on Wednesday in the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee.

“Today we had the first discussion on the proposal, that the European Parliament and the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee has been pushing for, for ten years: the proposal to have a common charger not only for smartphones but for small and medium-sized devices, including digital cameras, headphones, headsets, tablets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers,” said MEP Agius Saliba shortly after the discussion.

In his remarks, MEP Agius Saliba said that most EU citizens have issues with the multiplicity of chargers that exist. Too many chargers take up space at our home or workplace, some chargers are less efficientthan others, not all devices can be charged with the same charger, or else we cannot find a compatible charger. MEP Agius Saliba said that this is a common problem where most of the chargers owned end up being totally useless.

“This proposal would benefit everyone - the environment, consumers, and businesses. Electronic waste is a problem and reducing charger production and disposal will save thousands of tons of electronic waste per year, help the environment directly, and reuse old electronics. So, if a device becomes obsolete, the charger of that particular device can still be used and it won’t need to be thrown away,” commented the rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba.

MEP Agius Saliba explained that the priority of the European Parliament and the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee is consumers. He explained that on one hand, the Parliament does not want to stifle innovation because it is really important that it continues to grow, especially when it comes, for example, to wireless charging technology, but at the same time, he said it is important that European consumers and the environment do not continue to shoulder the burden of having to buy these useless chargers.

The legislative proposal proposed on 23 September 2021 requires that mobile phones and similar devices be recharged via a wired cable, be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of the device brand. This revision of the Radio Equipment Directive is part of a broader action to address the sustainability of products, in particular electronics on the EU market, and to reduce e-waste.