MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on a common charger for mobile radio equipment
22.1.2020 - (2019/2983(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure
David Cormand, Petra De Sutter, Sven Giegold, Rasmus Andresen, Henrike Hahn, Philippe Lamberts, Ernest Urtasun, Anna Cavazzini, Molly Scott Cato, Kim Van Sparrentak, Pär Holmgren
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0070/2020
B9‑0074/2020
European Parliament resolution on a common charger for mobile radio equipment
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Directive 2014/53/EU (Radio Equipment Directive) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC[1],
– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the single market has been, and remains, the basis for Europe’s economic success, the cornerstone of European integration and an engine for growth and jobs;
B. whereas the single market is not fully exploiting its potential due to inefficient resource management and market failure, which has negative effects on both consumers and the environment, with an increase in electronic waste and the unsustainable use of raw material to produce chargers;
C. whereas the Commission is committed to implementing the European Green Deal, which takes our planetary boundaries into account; stresses, therefore, the need for the effective management of available resources in order to ensure security of supply, in particular that of primary critical raw materials, and the significant reduction of e-waste pollution;
D. whereas for more than 10 years, Members of the European Parliament have been campaigning for a common charger for mobile radio equipment, including mobile phones, tablets, e-book readers, smart cameras, wearable electronics and similar electronic devices;
E. whereas voluntary agreements between industry stakeholders have not produced satisfactory results in terms of a common charging solution and consumers are still presented with different types of chargers across the market;
F. whereas the timely enforcement of adopted EU acts into legislative steps and transparency are essential for the European Union’s credibility among its citizens and on the international stage;
G. whereas the Radio Equipment Directive empowers the Commission under its Article 3(3)(a) to adopt a delegated act to impose harmonised solutions for common chargers;
H. whereas around 50 million metric tonnes of e-waste is generated globally per year, with an average of more than 6 kg per person; whereas in 2016, a total of 12.3 million metric tonnes of e-waste was generated in Europe, corresponding to an average of 16.6 kg per inhabitant;
I. whereas in the past 10 years, consumer trends show that the short lifespan of most radio equipment, especially smartphones, is significantly increased by the non-compatibility of chargers, thereby increasing the premature obsolescence of devices, generating increased e-waste and leading to a negative environmental footprint;
J. whereas developing a common charger for mobile telephones would save costs for consumers and make it more convenient to have access to services, including emergency services, given the fact that people rely on their mobile phones for most life utilities; whereas a common charger would promote a people-centred digital future;
1. Stresses emphatically that there is an urgent need for EU action in order to reduce the amount of electronic waste due to the unnecessary chargers produced each year, empower consumers to make sustainable choices, and allow them to fully participate in an efficient and properly functioning internal market;
2. Underlines the urgent need to develop standards for a common charger for mobile radio equipment to be adopted without further delay in order to avoid any further fragmentation of the internal market;
3. Calls on the Commission to present without further delay the results of the impact assessment on the introduction of common chargers for mobile telephones and other compatible devices, with a view to taking regulatory measures;
4. Calls, therefore, on the Commission to adopt the delegated act supplementing Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment or another legislative measure by July 2020 at the latest to ensure that common chargers for mobile telephones and other similar electronic devices are introduced without any further delay;
5. Stresses that the developed standards should define durability and sustainability requirements so that consumers are provided with long-lasting equipment, especially when it comes to charging performance;
6. Points out that the use of wireless charging technology offers additional potential benefits; highlights the fact that many mobile telephones already have wireless charging methods and that fragmentation in this area should be avoided; calls, therefore, on the Commission to take measures to ensure the interoperability of wireless chargers with different mobile radio equipment and to prevent the use of proprietary solutions;
7. Considers that decoupling strategies, (i.e. allowing the charger to be purchased separately from the device), would offer greater environmental benefits by reducing the number of chargers produced and would consequently save further costs for consumers; urges, therefore, the Commission to take the requisite measures to ensure that consumers are no longer obliged to buy new chargers with each new device; believes, in this respect, that incentives on both demand and supply are required; stresses, meanwhile, that the establishment of decoupling strategies without ensuring a common charger solution would not achieve the purpose of the Directive;
8. Believes that the Commission should consider legislative initiatives to increase the volume of cables and chargers collected and recycled in the Member States;
9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
- [1] OJ L 153, 22.5.2014, p. 62.