The European Union has been working for more than fifteen years to put an end to the proliferation of charging cables and power adapters. The introduction of a single universal charger is the result of a drive to cut the colossal volume of electronic waste, while giving users of mobile devices unprecedented simplicity and convenience.
What is the universal charger?
It is an initiative launched by the EU to reduce the large volumes of electronic waste linked to mobile devices. The principle is simple: if a single type of connector is used across all your gadgets, you only need one power adapter.
In September 2021, the European Commission (EC) took a major institutional step. The decision aims both to reduce the volume of waste and to encourage users to reuse their existing chargers with their new purchases. Once the regulation applies, all mobile phones sold on the EU market will have to be compatible with the USB‑C standard.
According to EC data, in 2018 the breakdown of chargers sold was as follows: USB Micro‑B accounted for around 50%, USB‑C 29%, and the Lightning connector, used exclusively by Apple for its iPhones, 21%.
Products covered by the power supply harmonisation
The proposal to standardise mobile chargers covers several categories of electronic equipment:
- Smartphones.
- Tablets.
- Cameras.
- Headsets and earphones.
- Portable speakers.
- Video game consoles.
Devices such as smartwatches, fitness bands and true wireless earbuds are temporarily excluded from this regulatory initiative. The reason given is the technical constraints linked to their size, design or specific usage conditions.
For now, the new rules do not apply to chargers for laptops, drones, power tools, cordless vacuum cleaners or shavers.
Impact on major manufacturers
The rollout of this single standard will force every company selling mobile devices within the European Union to comply. Industry giants such as Samsung, Huawei and LG are directly affected.
Only Apple has publicly voiced reservations about the initiative. An Apple spokesperson, quoted by the BBC, expressed a concern: “We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it”.
This view is challenged by analysts such as Ben Wood of CCS Insight, who told the BBC that “a universal charger is the sensible choice and will be seen as a victory for common sense by consumers”. Interestingly, despite Apple’s attachment to Lightning, the manufacturer already uses USB‑C for some of its products, such as the iPad and the Mac.
Why are these changes necessary?
The new directive aims to bring improvements in two key areas.
User convenience
End users will enjoy several benefits from this simplification:
- Removing the charger from new device kits could lead to lower purchase prices for users who already own a working USB‑C charger.
- Customers will finally be able to sort out and get rid of the various types and standards of chargers that unnecessarily clutter their homes.
- Drawers overflowing with dozens of incompatible cables should become a thing of the past.
Cutting electronic waste
In 2020, more than 420 million mobile devices were sold in the EU. The EC estimates that each consumer owns an average of three chargers, one of which is not used. In addition, 38% of consumers reported being unable to charge their phone because of an incompatible connector.
The problem is not just an inconvenience, it also has an economic cost: the annual extra cost generated by additional chargers is estimated by the European Commission at €2.4 billion. On top of that, 11,000 tonnes of unwanted chargers end up in European landfill sites every year.
Implementation timeline
The draft legislation (directive) is now being debated in the European Parliament (EP) and in national government bodies. Amendments can be proposed during this period. The directive will only enter into force once the EC has accepted or rejected these changes.
The European Commission hopes to finalise it in 2022. After adoption, Member States will have around two years to transpose it into their national law. Manufacturers will then have 24 months to ensure their products comply.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the Commission, said: “We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now the time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger. This is a significant win for our consumers and environment”.
Looking back at how the project began
Douglas Adams’ vision
The idea of unifying chargers was raised, among others, by the author Douglas Adams, known for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In a humorous essay published in 1996, Adams was already criticising the diversity of charging standards.
The Bulgarian push
Around twenty years later, Gergana and Solomon Passy played a key role in reviving the debate. From 2008, they were among the first to campaign for the standardisation of phone connectors in the EU. At the time, there were more than 30 different standards in the Union, a number that was cut to three main standards by 2021 thanks to this pressure.
Steps towards regulation
In 2009, the EC noted that there were more than 500 million mobile phones in use in the EU, with chargers often incompatible from one model to another, causing inconvenience and a surge in electronic waste. The main manufacturers then signed an agreement.
In June 2009, a memorandum of understanding was signed, committing manufacturers to standardise chargers for new smartphones from 2011 onwards. The agreement was renewed through letters of intent in 2013 and 2014. Following a 2014 study, a new directive was adopted, giving the Commission the power to impose harmonisation measures.
When no satisfactory new industry agreement emerged in 2018, the European Parliament adopted a resolution in January 2021 calling for a common charger for mobile devices.
