Each year the agreement is predicted to save consumers €250 million, cut e-waste by 1,000 tonnes and reduce indirect carbon emissions by 180ktCO2
Commission hails victory for the “EU general interest”: On 7 June 2022, the Commission announced that a deal had been reached on common charger rules within the EU. Provisional agreement between the European Parliament and Member States on the ‘one-type-fits-all’ proposal unveiled in September 2021 means that by Autumn 2024 consumers in the bloc will only require a single charger for new small and medium-sized portable devices. From that time, USB-C will become the standard port for wired charging for many electronics sold across the internal market. To reassure those who feared this move would harm innovation, lawmakers have agreed to harmonise speeds for fast-charging technology, improve information presented to consumers on charging performance, enable purchases of new equipment with or without a charger, and explore with standards authorities the potential for wireless charging interoperability.
EU aims to pull the plug on consumer frustration and e-waste: A deal on common charger principles in the EU has been a long time coming. A voluntary cross-industry agreement in 2009 reduced the number of charging solutions from 30 to three within just five years; however, it could not deliver a universal solution. The latest agreement, which formally speaking is an amendment to the Radio Equipment Directive, encompasses 15 categories of electronics, including cameras, headphones, smartphones and tablets. Laptops will also be captured by the new legislation, although manufacturers will have until 2026 to comply with its rules. In total, the Commission expects that the deal will save consumers up to €250 million a year on unnecessary technology purchases and have positive environmental impacts, reducing annual e-waste by almost 1,000 tonnes and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by around 180ktCO2e.
The beginning of the end for Apple’s Lightning port: In theory, single charger rules will have particular commercial implications for Apple, which accounted for over a quarter of all smartphone sales in Europe in 2021. While most smartphones already offer USB-C, Apple’s iPhones (and AirPods) use its custom Lightning connector. The tech giant has consistently lobbied against introducing a common charging system, arguing that the September 2021 proposal would stifle innovation and harm consumers. One drawback for Apple is that it would no longer be able to charge third-party device manufacturers a fee to use Lightning technology. Nevertheless, Apple has added USB-C ports to its range of laptops and should be well-equipped to adapt the rest of its product portfolio by the late 2024 deadline. Apple is reportedly already testing USB-C iPhones, which could go on sale as early as next year.
