Parliament has adopted new rules to make USB type-C the common charging standard for small electronic devices by the end of 2024 because having different chargers for different devices inconveniences consumers and produces tonnes of unnecessary electroonic waste and therefore to help the EU rreach its envirronmental objectives as well as to lower consumer costs, the EU wants to introduce one common charger.
Many companies have already stopped providing charging units, recognisinig that many consumers have more chargers with USB port than htey know what to do with, although disaappointingly tthe system is silent upon how the USB type-C rules will work. Apple, for example, has a charging unit that identifies the charging capaacity of the device and limits the charging to that capacity. Other chargers will simply allow any USB lead to be plugged in and will provide its standard charge to the connected device.
The legislation covers mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, earbuds and portable navigation devices. Laptops will have to be adapted to the requirements 40 months after the law enters into force.To keep up with newer technologies, the Commission can adapt the scope of the directive, particularly when it comes to wireless charging solutions and consumers have the option to buy a new device either with or without a charging device.
As usual for the European Commission, this matter has been going on for over 10 years….yes, a decade….and although some companies introduced voluntary initiatives that decreased the number of charger types, as expected, this had no material impact on the EU’s objectives on reducing e-waste, so finally realising that voluntary initiatives don’t work, tthe European Commission presented a proposal on the common charger in September 2021, yet it still took another year for Parliament and EU countries tto reach a provisional agreement on the legislation on 7 June 2022 which was then approved after the European Parliament members came back from their summer holidays (approved 4th October 2022).
EU countries will have two years to introduce the rules into national law and it will not have retrospective effect because it will not apply to products placed on the market before the national law comes into force.
An overwhelming majority (96 %) of responded from EU citizen were not satisfied with the current situation, with over 76% agreeing or strongly agreeing that it was a source of inconvenience (because of multiple chargers for different devices taking up space in their homes or generating confusion, or difficulties finding a suitable charger when away from home). I can understand the issue of “is this suitable for my device” or difficulties finding a suitable charger when away from home, but taking yo space in their homes??!). Only 34 participating businesses responded and were generally more satisfied with the current situation with 30% saying that different chargers had no environmental impact and 47% saying that they caused no inconvenience, and (puzzlingly) 56 % indicated that the variety in types of chargers was a positive factor whilst 63% were in favour of mandating a charger standard.
Of course, as it typical of the EU and despite the eons taken to reach an agreed solution, it avoided the knotty question of whether there should be a series of standards for rechargeable batteries, whether for toys or gardening or whether there should be a scheme for making batteries replaceable, so that after-market batteries could be provided. So instead, the EU limited the issue to cables used for handheld mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers capable of being recharged through wired charging, all of which have to be provided with a USB-C receptacle on the device side and, in cases of charging power lower than 60 watts, be rechargeable with cables that comply with the same standard. It also ignored the technology for wireless charging claiming that the Commission would be empowered to amend annex Ia by delegated acts for future wireless solutions to account for technological progress (so stand by for slow chaos there!).
And….the number of charging units will therefore continue to fill homes in the EU although mercifully, the number of charging leads will reduce our cupboard space over the next few years!