It’s been a few months since the Commission european is studying a directive on radio equipment which establishes a “one-stop charging solution for certain electronic devices”. It aimed to put an end to the multitude of ports and cables that equip modern electronic devices, at a time when technologies would allow the universalization of charging technology.
This universal charging port will apply to a wide range of products including:
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Good news, Member States and the European Parliament reached a (provisional) agreement, as Parliament’s rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba and Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said at a press conference this morning. Concretely, from 2024“mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, in-ear headphones, digital cameras, headphones and earphones, portable video game consoles and portable speakers that are rechargeable via a wired cable must be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacturer. The measure will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official newspaper scheduled for the start of the school year, but will only apply in practice after 24 months. Laptops are also targetedbut the requirements will not be mandatory until 40 months after the entry into force of the text, be sometime in 2026.
The idea is both to make electronic products more sustainable, to reduce waste and to make life easier for consumers, by making it possible to use only one charging cable for the vast majority of our devices, including the new ones, small to medium in size, compatible with fast charging or not. L’European Union estimates that this measure will save a total of 250 million euros per year for citizens of the continent, and reduce 11,000 tonnes of electronic waste over a year.
What will happen to this law if technologies evolve? Obviously, no plan to allow a thinner cable suitable for more discreet ports seems planned, but the European Commission will be “empowered to draw up so-called delegated acts on the interoperability of charging solutions […] as wireless charging technology spreads “. In other words, the European future will be USB-C or wireless.
Rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, MT) said: “Today we have made the universal charger a reality in Europe! Consumers will no longer have to purchase a charger with each new mobile device. We’re proud that laptops, e-readers, headsets, keyboards, computer mice and portable navigation devices are also included. We have also improved consumer information and labeling and added provisions for wireless charging, as this is the next evolution in charging technology. »
The big loser in this story will obviously be Applewhich had bet on its port Lightning to offer slightly thinner smartphones, and above all justified the sale of a particularly expensive cable to its users. Fans of digital cameras and other accessories with extravagant ports should also be thrilled. Now let’s wait to see how Tim Cook’s company will react to this decision, which will have a strong impact on its activities: USB-C for everyone, or different devices for Europeans?
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