Common Charger for Mobiles: Europe to Legislate

EU Moves Towards Universal USB-C Charging Standard

EU lawmakers are poised to standardize charging ports for consumer electronics, including smartphones and tablets. A proposal announced today, if adopted, will establish USB-C as the universal charging port across a range of devices.

Scope of the New Regulation

The standardization will encompass devices such as cameras, headphones, portable speakers, and handheld videogame consoles. However, smaller electronics like smartwatches and fitness trackers are excluded due to size and usage considerations.

Unbundling Chargers and Harmonizing Fast Charging

The Commission’s plan also aims to decouple the sale of chargers from mobile devices, preventing automatic inclusion in the box. Furthermore, fast charging standards will be harmonized, ensuring compatibility and clarity for consumers.

Device manufacturers will be required to provide users with detailed information regarding charging performance, including power requirements and fast charging support. This will aid consumers in selecting compatible chargers.

Potential Savings for Consumers

The Commission estimates that these measures will enable consumers to reduce unnecessary charger purchases, resulting in annual savings of approximately €250 million.

A Shift from Voluntary Agreements

The Commission acknowledges the failure of its decade-long voluntary approach, which relied on industry cooperation through mechanisms like a Memorandum of Understanding. Despite these efforts, three different types of mobile phone chargers remained in use.

Addressing E-Waste Concerns

A key objective is to significantly reduce e-waste generated by the consumer electronics sector. Consumers currently possess around three mobile phone chargers on average, utilizing only two regularly.

Unused, discarded chargers contribute an estimated 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually.

Impact on Apple and the Lightning Port

The proposed law could compel Apple to abandon its proprietary Lightning port, as it is one of the non-standard chargers still prevalent in the mobile market.

Apple has historically maintained a lucrative accessories business and even removed standard ports, like the 3.5mm headphone jack, necessitating the purchase of dongles – further contributing to e-waste.

It remains to be seen whether the EU legislation will address Apple’s dongle workaround.

Statements from EU Officials

Margrethe Vestager, EVP for digital strategy, stated that consumers have been frustrated by incompatible chargers for too long. She emphasized that legislative action is now necessary, representing a win for both consumers and the environment.

Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for internal market, highlighted the proliferation of unnecessary chargers and the need to end this practice, enabling consumers to use a single charger for all portable electronics.

Legislative Process and Transition Period

The proposal requires approval from the European Parliament and Council to become law. The European Parliament has previously expressed strong support for a common charging standard.

A 24-month transition period is proposed, allowing manufacturers ample time to adapt to the new regulations. Compliance is not expected immediately.

Future Harmonization Efforts

Further harmonization of external power supplies will be addressed through a review of the Ecodesign Regulation, planned for launch later this year.

Why Legislative Action Was Necessary

The Commission explains that its initial preference was for a voluntary approach, hoping the industry would self-regulate. However, industry proposals were deemed insufficient and failed to deliver a common charging solution.

This experience underscores the importance of legislative intervention when addressing critical environmental challenges like climate change and microplastics pollution.