The objective of the EU common loader is a step forward after an interim agreement has been reached by the negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council. From autumn 2024, all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices, including mobile phones, tablets and headsets sold in the EU, will need to be shipped with a USB-C charging port.
A further list of twelve electronic product groups, including e-readers, portable game consoles and cameras, will also be required to share the universal charging standard across all EU territories. Laptops will have to comply with the new ruling 40 months (3.3 years) after it goes into effect.
The new law is part of the EU’s goal to make electronic products sold within member states more sustainable and to reduce electronic waste by helping consumers carry a single charger for all their devices. Legislation has yet to pass a vote in the Parliament and the Council of the EU, which is scheduled for the end of the year, and all the signs lead to an overwhelming vote in favor of the common charging standard. The new law also seeks to harmonize fast charging standards across devices and is looking to do the same for wireless charging standards in the future.
Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe! European consumers have long been frustrated that more chargers piled up with each new device. They will now be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics. – Alex Agius Saliba (MEP)
According to the European Parliament press release, EU consumers spend a total of € 250 million per year on the purchase of chargers. At the same time, the unused chargers bundled with the devices contribute about 11,000 tons of electronic waste annually.
All major smartphone makers have already switched to USB-C, leaving Apple’s iPhones and their infamous lighting port on the wrong side of the tracks. Apple may avoid adding USB-C to its phones by going portless, but based on recent rumors Cupertino is already testing USB-C on its next-generation iPhone.
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