EU to require single charger for all phones, other electronic devices

The European Union has agreed to a proposed law that will phase out multiple charger types and impose a standard charger for smartphones, tablets and laptops sold in the bloc.

On Tuesday, the EU parliament approved the amended Radio Equipment Directive, which establishes a single charging solution for certain electronic devices.

“By autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the EU,” the European Parliament said in a statement.

This law is a part of a broader EU effort to make products in the EU more sustainable, and to reduce electronic waste.

“We are proud that laptops, e-readers, earbuds, keyboards, computer mice, and portable navigation devices are also included,” lawmaker Alex Agius Saliba said, leading the debate at the parliament.

Under the new legislation, mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld video game consoles and portable speakers have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacturer.

Laptops will have to comply with the legislation within 40 months of it entering into force.

The bloc has deliberated on charging port status since 2019 when an impact assessment study carried out by the European Commission revealed that half of all charging cables sold with mobile phones had a USB micro-B connector.

An additional 29 per cent had a USB-C connector, and 21 per cent had a Lightning connector. The study recommended a common charger port to cover all devices and power adapters.

The new legislation will lead to existing chargers being reused and will help consumers save up to 250 million euros a year on unnecessary charger purchases.

The Parliament noted that disposed of and unused chargers represented about 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually.

Tech giant Apple will be directly affected by the legislation, as it would have to abandon the iPhone’s Lightning port in favour of USB-C.