The Twenty-Seven and MEPs agreed on Tuesday, June 7, that the single charger is now the rule within the European Union (EU). From 2024, smartphones, tablets, consoles and other digital cameras sold in the EU will all be equipped with the same USB-C port, regardless of the manufacturer. Laptops will be subject to the same requirement by 2026. The text also paves the way for future standardization of wireless charging technologies, which are currently in full swing. And it anticipates that consumers will be able to buy a new device with or without a charger.
11,000 tonnes of waste per year
This regulation, which will be formally approved following the summer by the European Parliament and the Member States, might allow European consumers to save at least 250 million euros per year out of the 2.4 billion euros they spend purchases of chargers alone. As for waste from unused magazines, estimated at 11,000 tonnes per year, it might be reduced by almost 1,000 tonnes.
Apple, which has fought hard once morest this legislation, ruled in a statement on Tuesday that it “will impose significant losses on manufacturers, reduce consumer choice and generate electronic waste” additional. “Let’s be clear: if Apple wants to market its products [en Europe]we will have to respect our rules (…). You have to think regarding the environment”replied the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton.
