When most of us think about the European Parliament, it is often the big controversial issues that come to mind, debates that are important but mostly look at the bigger picture. Yet, being a Member of Parliament also means implementing change at a more practical level, changes that will affect European citizens more directly. One of my early aims, as a MEP, was to work on the implementation of a common charger for smartphones and other small- and medium-sized electronic devices.
The work has been ongoing for almost two years now, building the legislation step by step and also explaining why this change is needed. Each household today has a variety of electronic devices; a family of four will normally have four smartphones and each member of the family may also have other devices like cameras and tablets. As it stands, it is most likely that each device has its own charger and this creates a lot of unnecessary electronic waste.
Having one common charger for all these devices will mean reducing electronic waste, lower prices when buying the individual items and more choice to choose from. The passing of a resolution, which I pushed forward on this issue, was approved by a large majority in the European Parliament in 2020. The intention was for the legislation to be published by the European Commission by July 2020, but plans had to be moved back because of the pandemic.
We are now at a stage where we can move forward with the implementation of the common charger and that is why I continued to put pressure on the Commission during a meeting of the Internal Market Committee this week. The need for this solution has been felt for over 10 years and we have now reached a point where we cannot wait any longer, especially at a time where the use of electronic devices keeps getting more frequent and common.
The message was received loud and clear and now we have confirmation from the European Commission that by next month, the legislation on the common charger will be published. Furthermore, we were informed that the proposal will apply for a charger which will be common to smartphones, digital cameras and earphones, among other devices. The Commission has also announced that the type of charger will be known as USB Type-C.
Apart from the legislation on a common charger, attention will also be given to wireless charging to make sure that one common standard applies. This process of harmonisation of chargers and standards will simplify a system which was made complex by design. The Commission had already made it clear in the past that it will be using the Radio Equipment Directive (RED) to implement this process of harmonisation.
One aspect that still needs clarification is what directive or legislative tool will be used for the process known as decoupling. Decoupling means that any consumer should have the right and the option to buy the device without buying the charger as well. Having one charger, which works for all these devices, eliminates the need of buying a charger for each device and that is why this process of decoupling needs to be done right.
As a Member of the European Parliament, my main aim has always been to make a practical difference in the lives of Maltese citizens and I am proud that my work regarding the common charger has now led to the European Commission enacting this change in legislation which was long overdue.
Alex Agius Saliba, MEP