The Radio Equipment Directive is often referred to as the "common charger file," and it mandates that 13 classes of electronic devices be "equipped with the USB Type-C" charging port and that they can be charged with cables complying with USB-C standards.
That will make USB-C the standard for smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops.
EU countries have until December 28, 2023 to transpose the directive into national rulebooks — something that is often a problem for laggard capitals.
The first major deadline comes a year after that, by which time all devices except for laptops will have to abide by the rules; laptops get until April 28, 2026.
The Commission can add other device categories to the list through delegated acts starting in 2025, and every five years after that.
Apple strongly resisted the new rules, arguing in an Apple-commissioned study that the environmental gains would only come to €13 million, but would stifle charging technology innovation worth €1.5 billion. In its feedback on the proposal, Apple urged lawmakers to avoid this "by reconsidering the proposal entirely or amending it."
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