The EU will impose a single charger for smartphones by autumn 2024 – Le Figaro

All small electronic devices are affected. The 27 EU countries and MEPs agreed on Tuesday to impose in the Union a universal charger for tablets, e-readers, in-ear headphones, digital cameras, headphones and earphones , portable video game consoles and portable speakers that are rechargeable via a wired cable will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacturer by autumn 2024, the European Parliament has announced. Laptops will also have to be adapted to the requirements within 40 months of the entry into force of the text. Read alsoEurope wants real universal chargers This regulation, which will impose a USB-C port on all small and medium-sized electronic devices, aims to limit waste harmful to the environment and to defend consumer rights , forced to accumulate incompatible chargers for their various devices. Many devices are already equipped with this technology. But the devil is in the details: depending on the power of the charger, not all have the same efficiency. The American giant Apple, renowned for its Lightning charging technology and having long opposed the universal charger, has converted to USB-C for its most recent iPads. “These new obligations will lead to greater reuse of chargers and help consumers save up to €250 million per year on unnecessary charger purchases. It is estimated that discarded and unused chargers represent around 11,000 tonnes of electronic waste per year,” the European Parliament estimated in a report. Europe also plans to tackle wireless chargers. The Union wants to ensure that this technology is also universal, in order to prevent the problem from being simply transferred to a new technology. SEE ALSO – The EU has set itself the goal of having 20% ​​of the world market for chip production in 2030, announces Von der Leyen