The EU’s new standard seeks to economize the consumer technology industry by requiring many new devices to be USB-C compatible.
The EU’s common charging standard will help reduce the number of chargers modern consumers often need to power their many devices.[1]
In October 2022, the European Union (EU) formally adopted a common charging standard requiring a wide range of new consumer technology products to come with USB-C charging ports.[2] This standard will apply to mobile phones, tablets and e-readers, digital cameras, video game consoles, headphones, earbuds, portable loudspeakers, wireless mice and keyboards, and portable navigation systems.[3] Although receiving formal approval in 2023, the USB-C charging mandate will not take effect until late 2024.[4] The act was created with sustainable consumption in mind, and “is aimed at reducing the e-waste generated by the sale of radio equipment and at reducing the extraction of raw materials and the CO2 emissions generated by the production, transportation and disposal of chargers.”[5]
Many households have a drawer where chargers lay forgotten––a collection of different wires used to charge the many devices they have accumulated. A universal charging port standard will allow consumers to use one charger for all their devices, eliminating the need to hang on to a variety of old chargers. The standard will also be economically beneficial as “consumers and other end-users [will not be] obliged to purchase a new charging device with each purchase of a new mobile phone.”[6] Decoupling the purchase of new devices and the chargers needed to power them will minimize needless waste and help consumers save money.
Many wonder how this new European standard will impact tech companies and consumers in the global economy. The regulation will have interesting repercussions, but the EU only has the authority to mandate the change in Europe. Despite the mandate’s limited geographical bounds, there is already a noticeable ripple effect among major global tech companies. For example, shortly after the standard was approved, Apple stated that they have “no choice” but to comply with the ruling and to ensure that USB-C ports are used in all future devices.[7] With large consumer bases concentrated in the EU, global technology giants will need to adapt their products to maintain profitability in the region. It would be incredibly costly to manufacture separate versions of their products and chargers to be sold in different regions, so technology companies will likely be forced to shift their production to adhere to common charging standards.
While there is still time before compliance becomes mandatory, the global community can expect new devices to have USB-C charging ports. The implications of this change may sound significant, but many companies began manufacturing products with this charging compatibility prior to the EU’s mandate. In particular, “nearly every modern Android device uses the USB-C chargers along with Apple’s own iPad tablets. While Apple’s new MacBooks come with its proprietary MagSafe charger, they also support charging via USB-C.”[8]
There has yet to be any legal challenges to the EU’s mandate from major tech companies. Despite expressing dismay about the new law, Apple revealed in September 2023 that its iPhone 15 will come equipped with a USB-C charging port. Apple’s new AirPods have also been switched over, ditching the old port in favor of a USB-C one. By making this switch to accommodate the new European standard, it seems that Apple has embraced the impacts of the regulation and that its internationally-sold products will be compliant.
[1]Olivier Hoslet, Photograph of a cluster of different chargers, in Pieter Haeck, EU Countries Give Green Light for Common Charger by Fall 2024, Politico (October 24, 2022, 11:45 AM), https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-states-give-green-light-for-common-charger-by-fall-2024/.
[2] Council of the EU, Common Charger: EU Ministers Give Final Approval to One-Size-Fits-All Charging Port, European Council (October 24, 2022, 10:28 AM), https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/10/24/common-charger-eu-ministers-give-final-approval-to-one-size-fits-all-charging-port/#:~:text=10%3A28-,Common%20charger%3A%20EU%20ministers%20give%20final%20approval%20to%20one%2Dsize,phones%2C%20tablets%2C%20and%20headphones.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Council Directive 2022/2380, 2022 O.J. (L 315) 3.
[6] Id. at 10.
[7] Siladitya Ray, ‘We’ve No Choice’: Apple Says iPhones Will Switch Over To USB-C Chargers To Comply With New EU Law, Forbes (October 26, 2022, 7:20 AM), https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/10/26/weve-no-choice-apple-says-iphones-will-switch-over-to-usb-c-chargers-to-comply-with-new-eu-law/?sh=764732cbcded.
[8] Id.
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