The European Parliament’s negotiating group, led by Alex Saliba (S&D, Malta), and the EU Council’s negotiating group, represented by the French Presidency of the EU Council, met for the first time on Tuesday 10 May to take stock of their respective positions on the directive on chargers for radio equipment (commonly known as “common chargers”).
This was a warm-up round, and both sides presented their positions. The main points of difference between the two institutions are: - the scope of the Directive, with the Parliament extending the scope (see EUROPE 12935/7) while the EU Council followed the European Commission (see EUROPE 12877/8); - the deadline for the presentation of a delegated act by the European Commission to regulate wireless charging systems, with the Parliament having proposed 2026, while the EU Council and the European Commission prefer to remain flexible; - the transposition period, shortened by the Parliament compared to the initial proposal; - finally, the decoupling of the sale of the charger from the electronic device, including and especially for smartphones. Here, the European Parliament has added cable decoupling.
No date has yet been given for the next interinstitutional meeting. This is expected to be held at the end of May or at the beginning of June at the latest. It will depend on the technical progress made.
To consult the European Parliament’s position: https://aeur.eu/f/1gp
To read the EU Council’s position: https://bit.ly/33GF0cG (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)