On Friday 16 June, the European Commission proposed new rules under the existing energy labelling regulation to help consumers make choices about the sustainability of the mobile phones and tablets they buy.
Under this regulation, smartphones and tablets placed on the EU market will have to display - for the first time ever for a product - a reparability index. They will also have to provide information on their energy efficiency, battery life, protection against dust and water, and resistance to accidental drops.
“By helping people to make more informed choices and by making appliances more durable and energy efficient, the new rules will also help to save energy. At a time when we are seeking to increase repair and recycling opportunities, these rules are beneficial both for the environment and for our single market”, said Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy.
The new products will use the existing European energy labels, ranging from A to G, and the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) database will provide additional information on the product.
These energy labelling rules will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council for a two-month review period. If the co-legislators do not oppose the text, the rules will be adopted.
This legislative text will be published in the Official Journal of the EU on the same day as the Ecodesign Regulation, proposed by the Commission in November 2022, in order to align the entry into force of these two texts concerning the same category of products.
To see the proposal: https://aeur.eu/f/7kk (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)