EU unifies chargers for phones, tablets, and laptops
From 2024, all phones and tablets sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. Two years later, the obligation will extend to laptops.
At the beginning of October, the European Parliament passed a new directive introducing the obligation for manufacturers to equip mobile devices with a USB Type-C port from the end of 2024. The directive affects almost all mobile devices rechargeable via a cable with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts. In addition to phones and tablets, these include, e.g., headphones, speakers, navigation systems, digital cameras, and e-readers. The rules will also apply to products by Apple, long opposed to the directive. Laptop computers will only be subject to the directive from 2026.
A single charger will make life easier for consumers and promote environmental protection. It will also have a positive impact on the retailers and distributors of chargers, whose turnover is expected to grow by up to EUR 457 million per year, as consumers will be able to purchase a new device without a charger and buy one separately – even if retailers offer a charger as part of the mobile device package. On the other hand, retailers whose devices do not yet have a USB Type-C charging port will have to prepare for this change.
The draft directive must now be approved by the Council of the EU and then transposed into Czech law. However, considering the broad political consensus on the matter, it is expected that it will be passed soon. Sellers of phones and other portable devices who are to be affected by this obligation should start preparing their operations, products, and related documentation for the upcoming change.