EU lawmakers have reached a preliminary agreement on a joint solution for charging smartphones, laptops, tablets and other small and medium-sized electronics – a total of about 15 different departments – agreeing that USB Type-C will be the only common port by 2024. To charge the device in the area.
Due to the different charging features, laptop manufacturers have been given a little more time to implement a simple charging solution – 40 months after the rules came into force to adapt their kits.
The EU is also considering introducing wireless charging compatibility, though not immediately. Lawmakers agreed that the commission would ask standardization agencies to create a standard that would allow wireless charging to be consistent. The Commission will then be empowered by law to ensure that the wireless charging kit does not interfere with the normal procedure.
An interim agreement between the European Parliament and the Council paved the way for a formal vote to approve an amendment to the EU Radio Equipment Directive later this summer, but a compromise was reached by the bloc’s legislators, which is usually the key to EU legislation.
The new rules will take effect 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal and the provisions for common chargers will take effect 24 months later (ie from 2024).
Parliament has been pushing for a common charger rule for more than a decade, arguing that it is a key step in reducing the amount of e-waste generated by consumers in the unit. EU lawmakers estimate that unused chargers are responsible for about 11,000 tonnes of e-waste per year.
Last fall, the commission finally made a proposal – and it is noteworthy that it took only a few months to agree on today’s decision.
“The overall charging solution will not only affect Apple. It will affect many brands that produce some of these 15 different products when the law takes effect in two years,” Alex Agius Saliba, a key speaker of parliament, said in a statement. The conference called this interim agreement “historic” and a “great achievement”.
Under the new rules, EU customers will be able to purchase a new device with or without an external power supply – and they must have clear information about the charging features of the new device so that they can easily determine if their existing chargers are compatible.
It will not be necessary to meet the requirements of the products released before the date of application, so it will be interesting to see if there is a shock to the device manufacturers who want to use the existing components before the schedule.
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, who also spoke at the press conference, said the agreement was “very important” and that a common way to charge devices was in the interests of European consumers and the environment.
“It’s true we’ve been waiting for this for 10 years,” Breton continued. “It wasn’t easy, but we were able to do it. Nine months – just nine months! That means we can move faster if we have the political will. When we say lobby, sorry, but it’s Europe; we work for our people, your Not for self-interest. ”
He warned that electronics makers wishing to sell devices to EU consumers must “follow our rules”, urging device makers to “be ready” and not wait two years to convert them, as “these will be the only rules”.
Breton further reiterated that the commission was working on echocode and energy labeling systems, which he said were aimed at preventing premature aging of smartphones and tablets, another issue he called “very important.”
“These measures will include reliability, ease of dismantling, incentives for repairs, access to and recycling of critical spare parts,” Breton added, adding that the proposed legislation would be ready after the summer break.