(Strasbourg/04.10.2022) Following the vote in the European Parliament on the introduction of a uniform charging cable, MEP Manuela Ripa of the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) is relieved: “This success proves that environmental protection measures to avoid electric waste and consumer protection measures could and should be thought of together. A single charging cable not only helps to reduce e-waste but also serves to protect consumers. Consumers don’t have to deal with masses of cables, and they also have to spend significantly less on charging cables: this is a win-win situation.”

The so-called “common charger” will be introduced as a mandatory USB Type-C connector by October 2024. The European Parliament has been calling for a standardized charging cable for everyday electronics since 2009, and the long negotiations with the Council culminated in a compromise with the successful vote in Strasbourg that, thanks to the push from the Parliament, also includes e-readers, headphones, and laptops. In addition, it will also be possible to buy the device and cable separately in the future. The ÖDP politician comments: “This agreement should have been reached way earlier. The industry was given 11 years to voluntarily agree on a unified cable – this didn’t happen and that’s why we had to take legislative action now.”

The common charging cable is one of the initiatives to realize the Circular Economy Action Plan as well as the Green Deal. The decision to adopt a common charger will help reduce e-waste: “The common charging cable can save up to 1000 tons of e-waste per year. This is a good first step towards waste reduction, but many more such steps are needed. “, concludes the MEP.