Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba said Wednesday that the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Affairs Committee voted 43 in favour, 2 against and no abstentions towards enacting the common charger legislation.

In a media press briefing, Agius Saliba said that this legislation will drastically reduce the 13,000 tons of e-waste Europe creates every year.

“Apart from reducing the e-waste, we are helping the environment, helping the consumer and finally helping businesses reduce production costs,” Agius Saliba said.

The common charger initiative forms part of the revised Radio Equipment Directive and is to be co-adopted by both the European Parliament and the European Council. This directive has been in discussion for over a decade and the first steps in its enactment have been made.

The legislative proposal requires that mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, portable video consoles and portable speakers will all make use of USB Type-C chargers. This is to be effective across all brands which sell their products in Europe.

Agius Saliba also said that there is also another deadline, in 2026, in order to add to the list items which are still studying wether they can be powered by USB Type-C or not. “Certain devices which are either too small or currently can not be operated by USB Type-C will be left out of the list but we are pushing for the necessary studies to be made and turn everything into the common charger.”

By 2026, Agius Saliba also said that the EU Parliament will also be regulating wireless chargers in order for them to conform to the common charger legislation.

“The reason why we have two deadlines is simple, we wanted to be cautious to add products onto the mandatory common charger list as studies are still ongoing. For equipment which can not be powered by USB Type-C, we have set another deadline of 2030 in order to have a standardised system for powering these devices.”

“A single charger will not only curb the amount of waste, but it will boost consumer confidence by providing available, affordable, attractive, and convenient choices for all, reducing unnecessary costs and helping save millions of euros every year. To achieve this, consumers should always be informed on the possibility of using a charger they already have and should never be financially penalised for making the sustainable choice to buy a device without a charger.”

Agius Saliba also revealed that all the major political parties supported this legislative change and there were only discussions and negotiations when “finalising the legislation.”

With regard to stakeholders, Agius Saliba said that he always kept an open door policy and “although there was some push back due to companies having their own proprietary charging systems. At the end of the day we have to find a balance between what’s best for the consumers, the companies and the environment.”