The European Union has launched a process to introduce a single charger for all devices

The extent to which the Union should intervene with manufacturers and order a single charger port has been debated for more than a decade. A concrete proposal is being launched today, which is likely to be controversial.

Do we bet everything on USB-C?

When the first proposals and ideas on how to define a single market for chargers began in 2009, no one had any idea what form they might result in. In particular, 2009 was not marked by the USB-C port, which is gaining ground today at the expense of other solutions. But last autumn, it was clear what direction the EU wanted to take.

As the EU Council states, it is time to launch not only a debate at European level, in particular, however, to start the process of adopting a proposal that already gives precise outlines to what awaits us in the field of charging harmonization. Even if we are only at the beginning, it is assumed that some great players will defend themselves. There is also criticism of the form itself and of the EU’s intervention, yet regulation enters segments where the customer should choose exclusively according to his preferences.

The presentation of the information and proposal itself is therefore the beginning. But already a real contour, as Brussels officials actually imagine a uniform format and one form of port. The proposal divides the equipment into the following categories, which should also be regulated:

• cell phones,
• tablets,
• non-professional digital photo / video cameras
• headphones,
• headphones with connected microphone (headsets)
• mobile game consoles and
• portable speakers

And the following regulation is designed for these types of devices, provided that they can be charged via a cable:

„These devices must be equipped with a USB Type-C socketas described in standard EN IEC 62680-1-3: 2021- Universal Serial Bus Interfaces for Data and Power – Part 1-3: Common components – USB Type-C®TM cable and connector specifications “, which should always remain accessible and functional.

The design also adapts the packaging of the equipment

So USB-C should become the only standard to which all manufacturers should go, across specific device categories. So if I buy a tablet, headphones or phone, I always charge them through the same port. The proposal will also affect the visual appearance of the packaging, and there is no presumption that the charger should be a mandatory part of the packaging. The intention is to regulate the device, not its accessories. However, a new pictogram will also appear on consumer packages to visually indicate whether the charger is in the package or not (via the green color on the “check box”).

Approval of the proposal is only at the beginning, it is not yet very realistic to estimate when it will come into practice.