The EU will impose the single charger for smartphones, headphones and other portable devices from autumn 2024

BRUSSELS, June 7 (EUROPA PRESS) -

The negotiators of the European Parliament and of the Twenty-seven reached an agreement on Tuesday to impose the single USB-C charger from autumn 2024 on fifteen portable electronic devices, including phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and video game consoles. .

The formal adoption of the agreement by the plenary session of the European Parliament and the Council is scheduled for after the summer, which will allow the entry into force of the new rules 24 months later, in the autumn of 2024.

During the negotiations, some not covered by the European Commission in its initial proposal, such as eReaders, wireless mini-headphones, keyboards or navigation devices, have been added to the list of products that will be covered by the standard.

The universal charger for laptops will also be mandatory, although in this case the European institutions have provided for an additional period of 18 months from the entry into force of the standard to give the sector sufficient time to adapt.

One of the objectives of the new legislation is to reduce electronic waste in the European Union and prevent consumers from having to buy new cables and chargers with each purchase of a device, since as of the reform the user will be able to choose with each purchase whether whether or not to include a cargo item.

According to EU data, each year between 11,000 and 13,000 tons of electronic waste are generated in the community space and with the generalization of the single charger, Europeans will be able to save some 250 million euros in unnecessary charging solutions.

However, exceptions are foreseen so that items that, because they are too small, would not be compatible with that port model, such as smart watches and activity monitors and other devices for sports practice, are exempted. The mini-earphones that were part of the exception in the Brussels proposal will finally not be exempt and must be compatible with the universal charger.

The novelties also include the obligation to clearly inform and label the charging options, as well as indicate whether the product comes with a charger, in order to avoid confusion and facilitate the choice.

In addition, the charging speed is also harmonized for devices that support fast charging, which will allow users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.

Aware of the increasingly frequent use of wireless charging in devices marketed in the EU, the European Parliament and the Twenty-seven call on the Commission to update the regulation when there are charging solutions compatible with various manufacturers.