Earlier this month the EU passed a new law on common chargers that comes into effect by the end of 2024, requiring all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops. The new law, is part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.
Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.
Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.
Alex Agius Saliba, the Maltese EU lawmaker who steered the common charger bill through the EU assembly talks to Ronan about this new law and why it was badly needed.
More about Alex Agius Saliba:
Alex is a Maltese politician who was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019 on behalf of the Labour Party.
Alex has been serving on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Petitions as Coordinator and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.
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