The universal charger is law:mandatory in Europe by 2024

After 13 years, the European Parliament approves the universal charger directive.It must be adopted by all member states by 2024.

• After 13 years of waiting, the European Parliament approves the universal charger directive.
• By 2024, all manufacturers will need to adapt:the consumer, at the time of purchase, will be able to choose whether to also purchase a charger.
• According to MEPs, at least 11 thousand tons of electronic waste per year will be saved.

Every day, 1.7 billion electronic devices are sold around the world and each of these has a charger.Often these chargers are different from each other, so much so that when you forget it it is not a given to find one to borrow by asking a friend or colleague.

But things are finally changing, at least within the borders of the European Union:after 13 years of memoranda and agreements, the adoption of the universal charger for electronic devices it has become a European law.During the plenary session on 4 October 2022 which preceded the vote with which the European Parliament approved the law, the deputies defined it as "a first concrete step towards digital transition“.

13 years to get to this law is too long

On 4 October, therefore, its legislative process reaches the end Directive 2014/53/EU on “the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment”.Consumers will no longer need to purchase a charger every time they purchase a new device, as the same device can be used on a variety of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.A choice that will save money, according to Parliament, at least 11 thousand tons of electrical waste per year, a saving of 250 million euros spent on useless accessories.

So goodbye to the jungle of cables and cables, welcome the single standard, USB-C.An initiative that makes the path ofcircular economy.Despite its beneficial contribution to the economy, the legislative text, which was approved with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions, also attracted several criticisms from several MEPs who spoke during the Strasbourg plenary, who highlighted how 13 years represents an unacceptable time for measures of this type.

The universal charger must be adopted by 2024

In fact, it was 2009 when the bill arrived on the benches of Parliament for the first time.Since then there has been a great deal of work done with the manufacturing companies: up to now the principle of self-regulation has been valid of the market, which evidently did not work, since electronic device manufacturers continued to market products with different standards.

In two years it will no longer be like this:there standardization of the charging cable of smartphones and laptops will become reality and by autumn 2024 (in fact, member states have two years to adopt European directives) producers will have to adapt to the new rules.

“No one can stop the European institutions when they put the citizen at the centre”, was the comment of Jordi Cañas, one of the MEPs who spoke in the plenary.A statement that well underlines the resistance put forward by the producers' lobby in recent years:politicians cited Apple (which just launched theiPhone 14 without yet adapting it to the directive, therefore without USB-C), Amazon, Microsoft.But the list is actually made up of hundreds of small and large manufacturers.

Among the next objectives is the right to repair

The directive includes fourteen types of electronic products that will be affected by the new rules:mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, earphones and headphones, portable video game consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, headphones and corded rechargeable laptops, operating at up to 100 watts of power.But the digital transition process does not end here:among the next results the parliamentarians are aiming for wireless charger and to regulate the right to repairand and theplanned obsolescence.

“This ‘future-proof’ law enables the development of innovative charging solutions and will benefit everyone, from frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment,” explained the law's rapporteur, Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba.“These are difficult times for politics, but we have shown that the European Union has not run out of ideas or solutions to improve the lives of millions of people in Europe and to inspire other parts of the world to follow suit."

“We know that at the moment the main concerns of European families are different – ​​commented the Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager -, but this debate demonstrates that parliament is capable of fighting alongside citizens, pushing them to do the right thing.This is something concrete that will change the lives of citizens. Will this measure be enough to fight against climate change? Of course not, but one of the many steps to take is to make digital more sustainable."