Blog.
European universal charger standard: when will it work, which device categories does it cover?.
What is the European Universal Charger Standard?
The single universal charger standard is a European Union (EU) initiative that has been trying for more than 15 years to reduce the huge amounts of e-waste that mobile device users generate by creating a universal charger standard. The idea is simple - if all the mobile gadgets you use can be charged with the same cable, you can use just one charger for this purpose instead of, say - 5 or more, each with a different tip.
In September 2021, the European Commission (EC) voted on a decision that moves forward the universal charger procedure. The aim is to reduce e-waste, and incentivise consumers to use the chargers they already own with the new devices they purchase. Under the proposal, when it comes into force, all mobile phones sold in the EU must support the USB-C standard.
According to the EC, about half of chargers sold in 2018 were USB Micro-B, 29% USB-C, and 21% Lighting connector, which is used by Apple to charge iPhones.
What devices are we talking about?
The universal mobile charger proposal covers the following categories of consumer equipment:
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Cameras
- Headphones
- Portable speakers
- Handheld gaming consoles
Other products, including wireless headphones, smart bracelets and watches, remain sidelined from potential regulation due to technical issues related to the size, shape and specific conditions in which some are used.
The regulation at this stage does not apply to laptop chargers, drones, cordless vacuum cleaners, shavers, cordless tools, etc.
Which producers will be most affected?
The single standard for a universal mobile charger will affect all companies that produce this type of equipment and want to sell it on the European market. This includes major smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei, LG, etc.
At the moment, only Apple is sceptical about the initiative. "We remain concerned that strict regulation that favours only one connectivity standard will stifle innovation rather than stimulate it," an Apple representative was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Ben Wood, an associate at analyst firm CCS Insight, takes the opposite view: 'Having a single charging standard would be a victory for common sense in the eyes of end users,' he told the BBC.
And although Apple strongly opposes the potential new regulation because there are currently more than 1 billion users around the world using the Lightning connector, some of the company's products, including the Mac and iPad, already work with USB-C.
For what purpose are these changes being considered?
The aim of the new directive would be to make progress in two main areas.
User Facilitation
The biggest benefit will be for end users, who will gain on several fronts:
- When the chargers are removed from the kits of the new mobile devices, this should affect their final price. That is, users who already own a USB-C charger won't have to pay for a new one they don't need.
- The end customers will get rid of the different types and standards of chargers they keep at home. For many households these are cupboards full of dozens of different types of chargers.
Fewer discarded chargers
In 2020 alone, more than 420 million mobile devices were sold within the EU. According to the EC, each consumer owns on average 3 chargers, of which only 2 are used. Separately, 38% of consumers say they have been unable to charge their mobile phone when they need to because of incompatibilities in the charging tips. The problem is not only related to inconvenience, but is also purely financial. According to the European Commission, the annual cost of additional chargers amounts to EUR 2.4 billion. In addition, every year 11 thousand tonnes of unusable chargers go to landfill in Europe.
When can we expect it to work?
The legislative proposal, also known as a Directive, has yet to be debated in the European Parliament (EP) and national governments. During this process, MEPs and member states may propose changes to the text of the Directive. Only when the EC accepts or rejects these changes will the Directive be able to enter into force.
The European Commission hopes this could happen in 2022. Member states then typically have two years in which to implement the directive in their local legislation, while manufacturers themselves will have 24 months to comply with the new requirements.
"We've given the industry more than enough time to come up with a solution to this problem, but now the time is ripe for legislative action toward a universal charger. This is an important win for our consumers and the environment and is in line with our green and digital ambitions," said Margrethe Vestager, Vice President of the European Commission.
How did it get here?
"Little dick-like things"
One of the earliest propagators of the idea of the universal charger was none other than the father of the cultural phenomenon The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams. In an essay published in 1996, he talked in a funny way about the problem of different standards in chargers (in this case, mostly because of the different standard of the electrical grid in the US - 110V, not 220V as it is in Europe). With a great deal of humor, Douglas Adams christened the essay about the little gadgets that fill his home, "Little Dick-like Things." The essay, translated into English, can be read here.
The Bulgarian trail
Nearly two decades later, in the struggle with the many different models of chargers, a Bulgarian trace stands out. One of the first drivers for the standardization of charger tips were Gergana and Solomon Passy, who in 2008 made a proposal for the unification of all phone chargers in the EU.
At that time, more than 30 different standards for connecting chargers to mobile technology were in use throughout the Union. As a result of Gergana and Solomon Passy's initiative, their number is reduced to 3 main standards in 2021 - USB Micro-B, Lighting connector and USB-C.
Development by years
According to the EC, more than 500 million mobile phones were in use in the EU in 2009. Chargers for them often vary not only between device brands but even between models. As this leads not only to inconvenience for consumers, but also to a significant increase in e-waste generated within the Union, the EC has managed to negotiate an agreement between the main manufacturers to adopt a single charger for smartphones sold in the EU.
In June 2009, mobile phone manufacturers signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to unify chargers for new models that will hit the market after 2011.
The Memorandum expired in 2011 but has been extended by the companies that originally signed it through Letters of Intent in 2013 and 2014.
In August 2014, a study was conducted to examine the effect of the Memorandum on the harmonisation of mobile phone chargers and what future actions could be taken. Based on this study, further actions are being considered.
Thus, in 2014, the new Directive on the placing on the market of radio equipment was adopted which, based on the conclusions of the study, empowered the Commission to adopt specific actions to ensure the compatibility of electrical devices with identical chargers.
Between 2014 and 2018, the EC made efforts to reach consensus on a new Memorandum of Understanding, but the proposals the industry made in March 2018 were not satisfactory in achieving the goal of a common charger to improve the user experience and reduce e-waste.
Thus, in January 2021, the European Parliament intervened with the Resolution on a common charger for mobile radio equipment.
Also coming in September 2021 is a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2014/53/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment, which you can read more about here.
European universal charger standard: when will it work, which device categories does it cover?.
Introduction.
What is the European Universal Charger Standard?
The single universal charger standard is a European Union (EU) initiative that has been trying for more than 15 years to reduce the huge amounts of e-waste that mobile device users generate by creating a universal charger standard. The idea is simple - if all the mobile gadgets you use can be charged with the same cable, you can use just one charger for this purpose instead of, say - 5 or more, each with a different tip.
In September 2021, the European Commission (EC) voted on a decision that moves forward the universal charger procedure. The aim is to reduce e-waste, and incentivise consumers to use the chargers they already own with the new devices they purchase. Under the proposal, when it comes into force, all mobile phones sold in the EU must support the USB-C standard.
According to the EC, about half of chargers sold in 2018 were USB Micro-B, 29% USB-C, and 21% Lighting connector, which is used by Apple to charge iPhones.
What devices are we talking about?
The universal mobile charger proposal covers the following categories of consumer equipment:
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Cameras
- Headphones
- Portable speakers
- Handheld gaming consoles
Other products, including wireless headphones, smart bracelets and watches, remain sidelined from potential regulation due to technical issues related to the size, shape and specific conditions in which some are used.
The regulation at this stage does not apply to laptop chargers, drones, cordless vacuum cleaners, shavers, cordless tools, etc.
Which producers will be most affected?
The single standard for a universal mobile charger will affect all companies that produce this type of equipment and want to sell it on the European market. This includes major smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei, LG, etc.
At the moment, only Apple is sceptical about the initiative. "We remain concerned that strict regulation that favours only one connectivity standard will stifle innovation rather than stimulate it," an Apple representative was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Ben Wood, an associate at analyst firm CCS Insight, takes the opposite view: 'Having a single charging standard would be a victory for common sense in the eyes of end users,' he told the BBC.
And although Apple strongly opposes the potential new regulation because there are currently more than 1 billion users around the world using the Lightning connector, some of the company's products, including the Mac and iPad, already work with USB-C.
For what purpose are these changes being considered?
The aim of the new directive would be to make progress in two main areas.
User Facilitation
The biggest benefit will be for end users, who will gain on several fronts:
- When the chargers are removed from the kits of the new mobile devices, this should affect their final price. That is, users who already own a USB-C charger won't have to pay for a new one they don't need.
- The end customers will get rid of the different types and standards of chargers they keep at home. For many households these are cupboards full of dozens of different types of chargers.
Fewer discarded chargers
In 2020 alone, more than 420 million mobile devices were sold within the EU. According to the EC, each consumer owns on average 3 chargers, of which only 2 are used. Separately, 38% of consumers say they have been unable to charge their mobile phone when they need to because of incompatibilities in the charging tips. The problem is not only related to inconvenience, but is also purely financial. According to the European Commission, the annual cost of additional chargers amounts to EUR 2.4 billion. In addition, every year 11 thousand tonnes of unusable chargers go to landfill in Europe.
When can we expect it to work?
The legislative proposal, also known as a Directive, has yet to be debated in the European Parliament (EP) and national governments. During this process, MEPs and member states may propose changes to the text of the Directive. Only when the EC accepts or rejects these changes will the Directive be able to enter into force.
The European Commission hopes this could happen in 2022. Member states then typically have two years in which to implement the directive in their local legislation, while manufacturers themselves will have 24 months to comply with the new requirements.
"We've given the industry more than enough time to come up with a solution to this problem, but now the time is ripe for legislative action toward a universal charger. This is an important win for our consumers and the environment and is in line with our green and digital ambitions," said Margrethe Vestager, Vice President of the European Commission.
How did it get here?
"Little dick-like things"
One of the earliest propagators of the idea of the universal charger was none other than the father of the cultural phenomenon The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams. In an essay published in 1996, he talked in a funny way about the problem of different standards in chargers (in this case, mostly because of the different standard of the electrical grid in the US - 110V, not 220V as it is in Europe). With a great deal of humor, Douglas Adams christened the essay about the little gadgets that fill his home, "Little Dick-like Things." The essay, translated into English, can be read here.
The Bulgarian trail
Nearly two decades later, in the struggle with the many different models of chargers, a Bulgarian trace stands out. One of the first drivers for the standardization of charger tips were Gergana and Solomon Passy, who in 2008 made a proposal for the unification of all phone chargers in the EU.
At that time, more than 30 different standards for connecting chargers to mobile technology were in use throughout the Union. As a result of Gergana and Solomon Passy's initiative, their number is reduced to 3 main standards in 2021 - USB Micro-B, Lighting connector and USB-C.
Development by years
According to the EC, more than 500 million mobile phones were in use in the EU in 2009. Chargers for them often vary not only between device brands but even between models. As this leads not only to inconvenience for consumers, but also to a significant increase in e-waste generated within the Union, the EC has managed to negotiate an agreement between the main manufacturers to adopt a single charger for smartphones sold in the EU.
In June 2009, mobile phone manufacturers signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to unify chargers for new models that will hit the market after 2011.
The Memorandum expired in 2011 but has been extended by the companies that originally signed it through Letters of Intent in 2013 and 2014.
In August 2014, a study was conducted to examine the effect of the Memorandum on the harmonisation of mobile phone chargers and what future actions could be taken. Based on this study, further actions are being considered.
Thus, in 2014, the new Directive on the placing on the market of radio equipment was adopted which, based on the conclusions of the study, empowered the Commission to adopt specific actions to ensure the compatibility of electrical devices with identical chargers.
Between 2014 and 2018, the EC made efforts to reach consensus on a new Memorandum of Understanding, but the proposals the industry made in March 2018 were not satisfactory in achieving the goal of a common charger to improve the user experience and reduce e-waste.
Thus, in January 2021, the European Parliament intervened with the Resolution on a common charger for mobile radio equipment.
Also coming in September 2021 is a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2014/53/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment, which you can read more about here.
