EU: Universal Charging Cable Mandatory from 2024
From 2024, a universal USB-C charging cable will be mandatory for all electronic devices in the EU. The regulation is intended to reduce electronic waste.
Mobile phones and other electronic devices are to have a universal charging port from mid-2024.
Negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament agreed on USB-C as the standard. The regulation is set to apply to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, and portable speakers.
During the negotiations, the Parliament also succeeded in ensuring that laptops, e-readers, keyboards, navigation systems, and smartwatches are included as well. In future, it will also be possible to purchase devices and charging cables separately. A longer transitional period of 40 months is planned for laptops. Switzerland is prepared to “adopt the EU decision as soon as it comes into force”, the Federal Office of Communications announced.
Green MEP Anna Cavazzini commented on the outcome of the negotiations: “This saves resources, benefits the climate, and spares consumers’ nerves.»
Less electronic waste?
The Association of Municipal Enterprises welcomes the new regulation: «The best waste is still the waste that never arises in the first place«, said a spokesperson. According to the European Commission, the regulation could save nearly 1’000 tonnes of electronic waste. Currently, an estimated 11’000 tonnes of electronic waste from discarded and unused chargers are generated each year.
Critics fear that the EU approach may prove ineffective, as old chargers would no longer be usable and USB-C has in any case been increasingly establishing itself as the standard for electronic devices in recent years.
Currently still three connectors
The European Commission had already sought a uniform solution back in 2009, so that consumers would not have to buy new charging cables when switching phones or tablets, or could easily charge their mobile phone elsewhere if they had forgotten their own cable. In particular, US tech giant Apple had resisted the move.
Since then, the number of connectors has continued to decrease. Currently, three different systems exist: the Micro-USB connector, the newer USB-C connection, and Apple's Lightning.
Do I now have to dispose of all my Apple accessories?
«If Apple wants to sell its products within the EU by the end of 2024, they must comply with the regulation and use USB-C", says Alex Agius Saliba, lawyer and Member of the European Parliament. For iPads and Macs, this is already the case today. In smartphones, Apple is the largest manufacturer still using a proprietary connector with Lightning. So far, Apple has not officially commented on the decision. Of course, existing accessories do not need to be discarded — they can still be used with current devices and, in the future, also via an adapter at a USB-C port.
