Coming soon a universal charger for phones: the model, the devices involved … 4 questions about what Europe will impose

No more clutter from tangled chargers overflowing with drawers: In a couple of years, smartphones, tablets and other small electronics sold in the EU will have to have the same charger. It was the European Parliament that took the action on Tuesday, 4 October, after a referendum vote by MEPs in Strasbourg. But what changes will this decision bring? Medidispatch It measures in four questions.

What model of charger was chosen?

It’s the USB-C port that will become the only charger for portable electronic devices sold in the European Union by the fall of 2024. This world-leading legislation has become a reality to the dismay of Apple, which in June criticized a text it said was accused of stifling innovation and cutting off the European Union — subject to a choice of standards. “Outdated” – about the rest of the world. While there were still about thirty different models about ten years ago, the number of existing types of chargers for new electronic devices has already been greatly reduced.

They’re now three in number: the Micro USB connector that powered most phones long ago, USB-C, a newer connection, and Apple’s Lightning charging technology.

What devices are affected?

This obligation applies to mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, headphones, digital cameras, wireless headphones, portable video game consoles, GPS devices, computer keyboards and mice, as well as portable speakers. And this is regardless of its manufacturer. Laptops will also be affected in the first half of 2026.

What environmental impact will this procedure have?

Margrethe Vestager emphasized that the deployment of a single loader “will save at least 200 million euros per year for European consumers and will enable the reduction of more than one million tons of waste each year.” According to European institutions, discarded or unused chargers currently account for about 11,000 tons of e-waste per year.

“It’s a great day for consumers, a great day for our environment,” rejoiced, in the circulation of the European Parliament, MEP for Maltese Labor Alex Agios Saliba, text rapporteur who voted by 602 votes (13 against, 8 abstentions).

But “this is the very small visible part of the iceberg in the environmental impact of digital technology,” noted French ecologist David Cormand, referring to the “planned obsolescence” or low “durability” and “repairability” of electronic devices. “The wire (for the charger) should not be there to hide the jungle of environmental disaster represented by the digital system,” he criticized.

How long do EU countries have to implement this procedure?

Once the last purely procedural approval of the Council of the European Union (the member states) and the publication of the law in the Official Gazette, European countries will have two years to implement it. So by fall 2024.

“This transition period should allow manufacturers to adjust their production chain,” said Margrethe Vestager, Vice-President of the European Commission. Additionally, consumers will now have the option to purchase a new electronic device with or without a charger. The text also coordinates fast charging technology to prevent charging speed limitation when using a charger of a different brand than the device.

With its increasing prevalence, wireless charging will also have to meet interoperability requirements by the end of 2024, which the European Commission must coordinate.