Welcome to the European Parliamentary Research Service Podcasts.

In this podcast, we'll talk about a common charger for electronic devices,

a proposal by the European Commission that could make our lives much easier if finally approved.

Stay with us.

Have you seen my phone charger?

This one?

No, this one's for the tablet.

Never mind.

On average, Europeans own around three mobile phone charges, of which only two are used.

And these excess charges are estimated to pile up to 11,000 tonnes of e-waste every year.

To address the challenges for consumers, as well as the environment, the Commission and the European Parliament have pushed for a common charger for mobile phones since 2009.

Years of working with industry on a voluntary approach already brought down the number of mobile phone charges from 30 to 3 within the last decade, but could not deliver a complete solution.

So, in September 2021, following intense pressure from the European Parliament, the Commission put forward a new proposal to establish

a common charging solution for mobile phones and other small portable devices, namely, tablets,

digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld video consoles and portable speakers.

So, what would this common charger look like?

Well, under the proposal for a revised radio equipment directive, all these devices would have to be equipped with a USB Type C receptacle that can be charged with cables compatible with

USB Type C, and to incorporate the USB power delivery communication protocol.

This proposal would go hand in hand with an initiative on the eco-design of external power supplies,

so that the receptacle and the communication protocol for both ends of charger cables would be harmonised.

So what changes would the proposal bring?

Stay with us.

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