- A charger for all mobile phones and tablets – environmentally and consumer-friendly
- USB-C port offers high-level charging and data transfer for portable devices
- Choice when purchasing – buy new devices with or without a charger
By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU must have a USB-C charging port. From spring 2026 this will also apply to laptops.
On Tuesday, the corresponding new regulations were adopted by the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg with 602 votes to 13 and 8 abstentions. They are part of the EU's broader efforts to reduce e-waste and give consumers more sustainable options.
As soon as the new regulations apply, there will be no need for new chargers for new mobile devices. A single charger is then sufficient for a variety of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.
All manufacturers must provide their new cell phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, portable video game consoles and speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earphones and laptops with a power output of up to 100 watts that can be charged with a cable , equipped with a USB-C port.
All devices that can be charged quickly will have the same charging speed in the future, so devices can be charged at the same speed with any compatible charger.
Promotion of technical innovations
As wireless charging becomes increasingly widespread, the Commission must ensure interoperability here by the end of 2024 to prevent negative consequences for consumers and the environment. This also ensures that consumers are no longer tied to a specific technology or manufacturer in the future.
Better consumer information and more choice
Special labels are intended to provide information about the charging properties of new devices. This makes it easier to determine whether existing chargers are compatible with the new purchase. This allows buyers to decide whether they also need to buy a new charger with a new device.
These new commitments ensure that chargers are reused more often. They are intended to help consumers save up to EUR 250 million per year on unnecessary chargers. Discarded and unused chargers around 11,000 tonnes of electronic waste every year .
Parliament's rapporteur, Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, Malta) , said:
“The shared charger is finally becoming a reality in Europe. We've waited more than ten years for these regulations and can finally make the current abundance of chargers a thing of the past. This future-proof law enables the development of innovative charging solutions and will benefit everyone - from frustrated consumers to our fragile environment. These are difficult times for politics, but we have shown that the EU has not run out of ideas to improve the lives of millions of people in Europe and set a good example for other parts of the world.”
Next Steps
The Council must formally approve the directive before it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It comes into force 20 days after publication. Member States then have 12 months to transpose the Directive into national law and 12 months after the end of the transposition period they must apply it. The new rules do not apply to products placed on the market before the date of application.
Background information
For ten years, Parliament has repeatedly called for . Previous efforts to encourage the industry to voluntarily reduce the number of mobile chargers have failed to produce tangible results for EU consumers. Finally, on September 23, 2021, the Commission presented the corresponding legislative proposal .
Left
- Information sheet on the procedural steps - Radio Equipment Directive: uniform charger for electronic devices https://ots.de/zs3XUH
- European Parliament Research Service: Briefing on the uniform charger for electronic devices https://ots.de/ofEVFy
- European Parliament Multimedia Center – unified charger https://ots.de/1Kb9Xd
source
Also read: Scholz attends beheading?
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

