The European Commission had the last word. Indeed, the Ministry of Ecology was forced to draw a line under its smartphone sustainability index.
It was unfortunately predictable. As you may know, we discussed in our columns the government’s project to replace the repairability index with a completely new one. sustainability index.
This new scale has been integrated into the anti-waste law for a circular economy and was to come into force this year. With the sustainability index, the idea was to include a focus on the ability of a product to last over time (resistance of materials, durability of components, etc.), in addition to the criteria linked to repairability already established with the previous index.
A sustainability index already off to a bad start
However, at the end of 2023, the European Commission had already made known its disagreement with the French project. The fault in particular of manifest incompatibilities with the European measure which should come into force in mid-2025. In fact, the European Chamber is preparing “the energy label”, which must be affixed to all smartphones sold on the Old Continent on the date previously mentioned.
For the European Commission, the French sustainability index could therefore “create additional burdens for economic operators and add confusion among consumers.” To sum up, the project was simply duplicated.
The Ministry of Energy Transition throws in the towel
In a letter addressed to the EU, the Ministries of Finance and Ecological Transition therefore confirmed the outright abandonment of the sustainability index. Nevertheless, the two departments did not lack mark their disappointmentarguing in passing that the French sustainability index “constitutes a different and complementary tool to the future energy labeling of smartphones and tablets provided for by the regulation, both with regard to the nature and readability of the information provided, and the spectrum extended to the criteria contained in the sustainability index”.
Unsurprisingly, other companies committed to the cause of the French sustainability index have made their dissatisfaction known with the decision taken by the European Commission. This is particularly the case of the manufacturer Fairphone, a brand specializing in “fair” smartphonesbut also from iFixit, the reference site for repairs.
A bad decision according to iFixit
As explained to us in a statement provided to Phonandroid Sandra Auboy, responsible for development in France at iFixit, the Commission’s choice is regrettable : “The sustainability index was probably more ambitious than the European agreement that the Commission has just voted on. Taking into account the longevity of a device and not just its repairability is essential,” she believes.
To his eyes, repairability is as important as the reliability of a device : “If a device breaks down every 6 months, it will discourage users from repairing it.” If the manager understands the need for European harmonization for both consumers and manufacturers, she regrets to see that the sustainability aspect is almost absent from the new agreement. She hopes that the Commission will eventually review its copy with this in mind: “France remains a pioneer in terms of repairs in Europe, we remain hopeful that things continue to move forward in this direction”.