Verbatim report of proceedings

Monday, 13 January 2020 - Strasbourg

Common charger for mobile radio equipment (debate)

  Róża Thun und Hohenstein, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, I would like to say to the Commissioner that, yes, many of us have been advocating for more than ten years for a solution to this very simple problem. The number of cables and chargers produced and thrown away each year is simply unacceptable. We still need four different cables for smartphones, digital cameras, e-book readers and tablets.

Europeans change their smartphones on average every two years, so every second year our citizens are forced to buy new chargers when buying new devices, even if all the chargers still function. Demand grows and with it waste and exploitation of natural resources. We are drowning in an ocean of electronic waste. Around 50 million tonnes of e-waste is generated globally per year with an average of more than 6 kilograms per person. In Europe, it is even 16 kilograms per person, and we cannot continue this way.

Commissioner, I agree that the voluntary agreement is not enough. We expect three concrete actions to be undertaken. Firstly, the Commission has to show leadership and stop letting tech giants dictate standards. If digital sovereignty really means something to this new Commission, we expect a proposal to establish a standard of a common charger – wireless or not – within the next six months. Secondly, having the possibility to use the same common charger for multiple devices, the consumer should not be forced to pay additional charges when buying new devices. Thirdly, the Commission should propose quality standards for treating e-waste and help Member States to reach e-waste collection targets.

Commissioner, this charger is very small, but the issue is big and very important for the environment and for European citizens.