Rules for all devices to use USB-C by 2026 have been announced by EU

It has been announced that from this point forwards, any portable electronic devices which are sold within the EU, must be sold with a USB-C charging port. This includes items such as tablets, mobile phones, e-readers, headphones, digital cameras and computer mice. It has also been stated that as of April 2026, these requirements, enforced by the EU, will also apply to laptops.

One of the core aims and benefits of making this change, is that through harmonizing technology, fast charging will be enabled and also, there will no longer be a way for different manufacturers to impose charging speed limitations. As well as the items listed above, the regulations will also cover video game consoles, computer keyboards and finally, portable GPS systems.

All of these changes within the EU were kickstarted in 2009 and when this occurred, it was just as a voluntary collaboration between technology companies. However, this collaboration produced the excellent effect of reducing the number of charger types from thirty to three. Yet, it was Apple’s creation of their Lightning port which pushed the European Commission forwards, far enough to implement the new legal regulations.

Now, that these regulations are being enforced, it is clear that there will soon be multiple benefits that come with this change. For example, a large benefit for consumers, the environment and for the e-waste community, is that customers will be able to choose to buy an electronic device, without a charger included. Purchasing products in this way, will mean that it becomes easier to accomplish the aim of reducing the amount of unused chargers within the market. On top of this, manufacturers are now also required to tell customers about the power requirements of a product, along with the product’s compatibility with the fast-charging standard. This essential information must be clearly displayed on the packaging and must also be supplied with the device.

Through committing to these changes, it has been suggested that consumers will be able to save more than 250 million euros per year. Furthermore, actively reducing the production of chargers, will mean that the amount of e-waste is also decreased by 980 tonnes per year. Right now, phone chargers by themselves make up 11,000 tonnes of e-waste every year, therefore making this change will be hugely beneficial and a huge step forwards for the industry.

Further to this, it has been agreed that the new regulations around a common charger, will be extended to include laptops sold in the EU, as of 28^th of April 2026. This will once again cause a decrease to e-waste and will also mean that users will gain a greater assurance around the compatibility of their chargers.