In a report published
today, the European Scrutiny Committee has raised concerns
that new EU rules on mobile phone design could see Northern
Ireland diverge from the UK.
In its report, the Committee says it is possible that
“significant differences” will exist in the future between
regulation in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. “This would not
be acceptable,” it says, and would constitute “yet another
example of the damage that current arrangements under the Windsor
Framework are causing to the Union.”
The EU’s plans set out new sustainability and energy performance
rules for mobile phones, as part of the bloc’s ‘European Green
Deal’. Under the Windsor Framework, the rules will apply in
Northern Ireland from 30 June 2025. However, the new requirements
are the kinds of EU Single Market rules which are reported to be
part of the UK Government’s deal to limit regulatory divergence
between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in an effort to
restore the Northern Ireland Executive.
Included in the plans are requirements for batteries to withstand
at least 800 charging cycles while retaining 80% of their
original capacity. Software updates will need to remain available
for at least 5 years after the product is placed on the market,
and producers will need to make critical spare parts available
for repairers until 7 years after sales of the product end.
, the minister responsible
for responding to the regulations, set out the Government’s
position in an explanatory
memorandum(EM). He noted that there are no equivalent
rules to the new regulations in Great Britain but provides no
analysis of the impact of possible divergence between Great
Britain and Northern Ireland.
In a letter to , Committee Chairman asks the UK Government
whether it believes that the rules should apply in Northern
Ireland and whether it plans to replicate them in Great Britain.
