During the plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday, 4 October, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour (602 votes in favour, 13 against, and 8 abstentions) of the report by Alex Saliba (S&D, Maltese) on the interinstitutional agreement on the common-charger directive.
The rapporteur stated before the European Parliament that he was pleased with the speed of the negotiations: 9 months between the European Commission’s presentation and the interinstitutional agreement (see EUROPE 12966/13). The agreement had received broad support in the European Parliament committee vote in mid-July (see EUROPE 12991/34).
Mr Saliba reiterated a rough outline of the agreement: by autumn 2024, USB-C will become the common charging port for smartphones, e-readers, headsets, keyboards, computer mice, GPS devices, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and earphones, handheld video game consoles, and portable speakers.
By the beginning of 2026, USB-C will also become the common charging port for all laptop computers, including notebooks, [ultra]portables, hybrids, and netbooks. The European Commission will regularly revise this list with new products that, to date, have not yet been included in the scope. The charging speed will also be standardised for devices that support fast charging.
With the help of European standardisation organisations, the European Commission will also develop, within 24 months, a suitable standard for wireless technologies in the purchase of new products such as smartphones. Consumers will, eventually, be able to choose to buy a new device with or without a charger—a choice that will be guided by a dedicated pictogram and a visible label on the packaging.
During the plenary debate, European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager expressed that she was pleased not only with the speed but also with the quality of the agreement’s content, especially the expansion of the scope of the directive, as proposed by the European Parliament.
“It has increased the cover to the broadest possible range of what we call ‘radio equipment’ and even increased the expected benefits for EU citizens and, of course, the environment”, she declared, implicitly acknowledging a relative lack of ambition on the part of the European Commission.
Indeed, based on its actions, the European institution had not seemed keen to present a text—multiplying impact studies despite the insistence of the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12748/37). The subject posed obvious technical difficulties and had provoked an outcry, notably from the American giant Apple (see EUROPE 12836/26).
The text must now be submitted to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) on 12 October; then, it will be definitively adopted by the Environment Council on 24 October, according to a diplomatic source. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)