Right time for battery charger proposal to power up
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Europe's largest federation of environmental citizens' organisations, is calling for an immediate EU-wide measure to ensure the compatibility of battery chargers and power supply devices. The call comes the day before a Consultation Forum meeting linked to the Ecodesign of Energy Using Products (EuP) Directive.
'Battery chargers represent a serious environmental issue both from an energy use and a waste perspective' said Nathalie Cliquot, EEB policy officer on EU waste and product policy. 'The lack of compatibility means that people need new battery chargers for each new appliance they buy and they end up throwing away devices in perfect working condition, which is a complete waste.'
This week the EEB, in conjunction with the European Environmental Citizens' Organisation for Standardisation (ECOS) and several other environmental NGOs, released a position paper outlining their demands for the Commission's draft proposal for regulating battery chargers and other power supply devices.
The paper is the environmental NGOs' contribution to the EuP consultation process, the last step before the European Commission sends a draft decision for approval to Member States representatives in a comitology committee.
The European Commission appears to focus only on improving the energy efficiency of battery chargers, while being ready to postpone concrete measures on their compatibility for a few years to take into account the outcome of industry voluntary initiatives, such as standardisation.
The EEB fears that given the limited interest manufacturers have demonstrated in making battery chargers compatible, this would in effect delay any decision for several years. More immediate action is needed, particularly as this issue has been being discussed for years. The EuP process is the opportunity to propose an EU-wide measure on eco-design requirements on battery chargers to tackle this issue.
'Everyone is annoyed with the multiplication of so many different types of power supplies and battery chargers at home. This is exactly where this EU Ecodesign policy can make a difference both for the environment and for consumers. No better opportunity could be found to turn this Ecodesign concept into real action' concluded Edouard Toulouse, ECOS Ecodesign Officer.
[1] The Directive 2005/32/EC on the Eco-design of Energy-using Products (EuP), such as electrical and electronic devices or heating equipment, seeks to provide coherent EU-wide rules on eco-design. Products are addressed on a case-by-case basis, with 'Implementing Measures' on key environmental impacts being agreed through a process that involves a Consultation Forum. The Forum is made up of representatives of the Member States and stakeholders from SMEs, trade unions, retailers and environmental and consumer organisations.
A Consultation Forum meeting is organised for Friday 22 February, to discuss draft implementing measures on external power supplies and battery chargers.
The environmental NGO Consultation Forum members are ECOS, EEB, INFORSE-Europe and WWF.
A standard that provides rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, for common and repeated use. Standardisation is a voluntary process run by private bodies dominated by industry interests. The main European standardisation bodies are CEN and CENELEC. At global level their counterparts ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and IEC, the International Electrotechnical Committee, elaborate standards.
A proposal to start work on an 'International Standard for Harmonization of Interfaces for Battery Chargers and Consumer Goods powered by Rechargeable Batteries' is already on the desk of ISO and IEC since 2006. Whether either of them may decide to start working on this item remains to be seen. At European level the European Commission can mandate standardisation work to CEN or CENELEC, if they accept such a mandate. Provided work gets started at all, at both international and European level Original Equipment Manufacturers may try to further delay the process in the standardisation bodies.
-
Most popular related searches
Customer comments
No comments were found for Right time for battery charger proposal to power up. Be the first to comment!