USB-C to become the standard charging solution for most devices by 2024

USB Type-C will be the standard charging port for all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras in the EU by 2024, negotiators from the European Parliament and Council agreed today.

The interim agreement on the revised Radio Equipment Directive offers a single charging solution for some electronic gadgets. This rule is part of a larger EU initiative to make EU products more sustainable, minimize electronic waste, and make consumers’ lives easier.

The move will mean consumers no longer need to buy a new charging device and cable every time they buy a new gadget, and may instead use a single charger for all of their small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.

“Mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers that are rechargeable via a wired cable will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacturer.” read part of a statement by the European parliament.

The agreement also provides that laptops have to be adapted to the requirements by 40 months after the entry into force.

The development of a “common charger” is an attempt by the EU to reduce e-waste while also making consumers’ lives easier. Lawmakers anticipate that in the future, phones and similar devices will not need to come with a charger because buyers will already have the necessary components at home.

According to the EU, the regulation may save customers 250 million euros per year on “unnecessary charger purchases” and reduce approximately 11,000 tonnes of e-waste yearly.

Before the agreement can be published in the EU Official Journal, it must be formally approved by the European Parliament and Council. It will go into effect 20 days after publication, with its provisions taking effect after 24 months. The new restrictions would not apply to products that were already on the market at the time of application.