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EU ministers have approved today the new Radio Equipment Directive. [1] Policymakers had already agreed on the text a few months ago. Today’s signature at the Council of the European Union was the last procedural step before the bill is published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Before the end of 2024, the EU will allow only one type of connector for mobile phones, tablets, and other small ICT devices. USB Type-C connectors will be mandatory for all these products.
Laptops will only need to comply with the common charger 40 months after the entry into force of the law. This means approximately in 2028.
ECOS expects this groundbreaking decision makes waves internationally.
In June, US senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ed Markey called on the US government to create a common charging standard in the country. [2]
One important consequence of these changes in European legislation is that Apple, a major global producer, will need to stop using its proprietary Lightning chargers. We anticipate the brand will sell USB-C models everywhere in the world, not only on the European market.
Smartphone chargers alone generate some 11,000 to 13,000 tonnes of e-waste each year in the EU [2]. If we add chargers for other portable products, such as laptop computers, this number triples. The common charger will help decrease the volume of charger e-waste.
Mathieu Rama, Programme Manager, Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS):
‘We expect that a single design for charger connectors will open the way to more policies ensuring the interoperability of products. A common charger will help consumers save as they will avoid buying unnecessary redundant cables. We will cut on millions of waste electronic products, decreasing our global negative environmental and social impacts. We are now anticipating similar initiatives elsewhere in the world showing how environmental ambition can make the EU the global standard-setter!’
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