Directive (EU) 2022/2380 is a directive of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

and the

European Council The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...

which was formally adopted on 23 November 2022 amending Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53. The directive mandates the use of

USB-C USB-C, or USB Type-C, is a 24-pin reversible Electrical connector, connector (not a Communication protocol, protocol) that supersedes previous USB hardware#Connectors, USB connectors (also supersedes Mini DisplayPort and Lightning (connector) ...

as a

universal charger Universal charger or common charger refers to various projects to standardize the connectors of power supplies, particularly for battery-powered devices. Since the publication of the USB Power Delivery standard in 2012, and the USB-C connector in ...

using a standard USB-C to USB-C cable for

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

s, tablets,

digital camera A digital camera, also called a digicam, is a camera that captures photographs in Digital data storage, digital memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, largely replacing those that capture images on photographic film or film stock. Dig ...

headphones Headphones are a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound. Headphones let a single user listen to an ...

, headsets, handheld

video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally ...

s, portable speakers,

e-reader An e-reader, also called an e reader or e device, is a Mobile computing, mobile electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital e-books and Periodical literature, periodicals. Any device that can display text on ...

s, keyboards,

mice A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

, portable

navigation system A navigation system is a computing system that aids in navigation. Navigation systems may be entirely on board the vehicle or vessel that the system is controlling (for example, on the ship's bridge) or located elsewhere, making use of radio or oth ...

s, and earbuds that use wired charging by the end of 2024, and

laptop A laptop computer or notebook computer, also known as a laptop or notebook, is a small, portable personal computer (PC). Laptops typically have a Clamshell design, clamshell form factor (design), form factor with a flat-panel computer scree ...

s by 2026. The purpose of the directive is to reduce

electronic waste Electronic waste (or e-waste) describes discarded electrical or electronics, electronic devices. It is also commonly known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or end-of-life (EOL) electronics. Used electronics which are destined ...

by reducing the need for consumers to purchase different chargers for their equipment. The directive also allows the unbundling of a charger with a device when sold. If such equipment is capable of being recharged by wired charging at voltages higher than 5 volts, currents higher than 3 amperes, or powers higher than 15 watts, the equipment must support the full functionality of

USB Power Delivery The initial versions of the USB standard specified connectors that were easy to use and that would have high life spans; revisions of the standard added smaller connectors useful for compact portable devices. Higher-speed development of the USB ...

. It is considered a successor to the EU's common external power supply (2009–2014), a voluntary specification which used

micro-USB The initial versions of the USB standard specified connectors that were easy to use and that would have high life spans; revisions of the standard added smaller connectors useful for compact portable devices. Higher-speed development of the USB ...

as a standard connector. The legislation was criticised by

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

, who argued in 2019 that a single standard would "freeze innovation rather than encourage it." Apple also noted that if a universal standard was not an existing standard, adoption of a new standard would lead to increased e-waste.

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Comput ...

used its proprietary

Lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...

connector for many devices, but since 2023 it uses

and they officially ended their production of Lightning connector in 2025 after all their devices charging cable transitioning into

to agreed the rules of the legislation law.

References

External links

Directive 2022/2380 text
{{DC power delivery standards European Union directives European Union technology policy 2022 in the European Union Electronics and the environment Battery charging Mobile phone standards USB

See also

References

External links