USB-C input
The new European Union (EU) universal charger directive, which makes USB-C input mandatory for all electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets and headphones comes into effect this Saturday.
“From December 28, 2024 [sábado]EU consumers will benefit from a universal charging solution for their devices as new rules for a common charger“, recalled this Friday, in a statement, the European Parliament.
“Under these rules, all new cell phones, tabletsdigital cameras, headphones and earphones, portable video game consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems and earphones sold in the EU must have a USB-C charging port”, he adds.
Two years after the law was approved (by MEPs and member states), EU consumers no longer need different chargers and cables for various small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.
cell phones, tabletse-readers, headphones, digital cameras, headphones, portable video game consoles, and wired rechargeable portable speakers will need to be equipped with a port USB Type-C, regardless of manufacturer.
Computers come next
After a period of adaptation, all laptop computers will also be covered by the new rules, this starting April 28, 2026.
This EU directive also harmonizes fast charging requirements and allows consumers to choose whether or not they want to receive a new charger with each device purchase.
Manufacturers will be required to update their packaging in order to clearly present information about the charging characteristics and what is included in each purchase.
It is estimated that in 2020, EU consumers purchased approximately 420 million electronic devices, owning, on average, three chargers to charge these electronic devices, of which they regularly used two. Per year, this means 11 thousand tons of e-waste in the EU as a whole.
The European Commission envisages a savings of 250 million euros to consumers in the European Union for the introduction of this universal charger.
The issue of creating a universal charger had been discussed since 2009, when there were around 30 models on the European market and a voluntary agreement was signed between the main cell phone manufacturers in the EU to harmonize it.
This made it possible to reduce the number of models for the main types of chargers on the European market – USB 2.0 Micro B, USB-C and the Lightning system used exclusively by Apple devices -, but the agreement between the industry expired in 2014, being now replaced by the new law regarding the universal charger, which reduces the number of devices from three to one.
