European Parliament gives green light for universal charger | Tech

With the approval – by 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions – the parliament ratifies the agreement reached with the member states before the summer. Soon the 27 EU countries will also confirm the agreement. For most devices, the new rules must then come into effect within 24 months.

The European Union is making a case for consumers to use the chargers they already have for longer as a result of the directive. This should result in a saving of 250 million euros on the unnecessary purchase of such chargers. Currently, discarded and unused chargers account for some 11,000 tons of electronic waste per year.

“Finally”, MEP Hilde Vautmans (Renew Europe, Open Vld) reacts enthusiastically to the approval. “Done with that tangle of charging cables in our drawers where you can never find the right one. This really brings Europe closer to the citizen: good for our consumers and for our environment. It has only advantages. It seems simple and obvious, but it took a long time before we could really push this through.”

Vautmans explains that in the first quarter of 2022, no fewer than 311 million smartphones were sold worldwide. Each with a separate charger. “So it’s high time to change this.”

“With the new rules, our consumers can now choose for themselves whether they also purchase a charger with their new purchase. This gives them more freedom of choice when one charger can charge multiple devices, regardless of manufacturer or brand. Laptops will also be adapted to the new standard in the future, although they will be given 40 months to do so. So this is really good for the wallets of our European consumers.”

“It’s a pity we have to wait until 2024”, it sounds. “Is it the power of the industry or is the European Commission just too little power? In any case, I am happy that the universal charger will finally be available in 2024!” Vautmans concludes.