EC proposes rules for longer-lasting mobile phones, they must last longer than two or three years

The European Commission has proposed new rules under which mobile phones and tablets sold in the EU market must include data on their energy efficiency, battery longevity, dust and water protection, and resistance to accidental drops.

– First and foremost – your phone should last longer than two or three years. And if it gets damaged in the meantime, it should be easy to repair – said Executive Vice-President of the Commission Frans Timmermans.

Timmermans emphasizes that smartphones too often lose their functionality due to battery degradation or because software updates render older models obsolete.

– These proposals extend the lifespan of your phone and facilitate sustainable choices – added Timmermans.

This proposal introduces a product reparability rating for the first time to help consumers make more informed and sustainable purchasing decisions.

The Commission states that mobile phones and tablets produced under these rules will save nearly 14 terawatt-hours of primary energy each year by 2030. This is one-third of today’s primary energy consumption of these products. The new rules will also help optimize the use of critical raw materials and facilitate their recycling.

According to the new rules, mobile phones and tablets will have well-known letter ratings from A to G regarding energy efficiency.

These new rules are a delegated act for the implementation of the recently approved Ecodesign Regulation. The delegated act sets out minimum requirements for mobile and wireless phones and tablets placed on the EU market.

According to the proposal, products must meet the following minimum requirements: resistance to accidental drops or scratches; protection from dust and water, and the use of sufficiently durable batteries.

Batteries should withstand at least 800 charge and discharge cycles while retaining at least 80 percent of their initial capacity.

The proposal also includes rules on disassembly and repair, including obligations for manufacturers to make critical spare parts available to service providers within 5-10 working days, and up to 7 years after the end of the sale of the product model on the EU market.

Manufacturers must ensure the availability of operating system updates for longer periods: at least 5 years after the product is placed on the market.

As this is a delegated regulation, the co-legislators of the EU Council and the European Parliament now have two months to raise any objections to the proposed text. If there are no objections, the text is considered formally adopted.

After the Ecodesign Regulation and the implementing act with new rules for mobile phones and tablets approved today come into force, a transition period of 21 months is planned before both laws begin to apply.