USB-C universal charging port: directive 2022/2380 in force
News · Regulatory evolution
Since 28 December 2024, Directive (EU) 2022/2380, known as the "common charger" directive, applies across the European Union. It amends the RED 2014/53/EU directive by inserting an article 3.3(a) that mandates a USB-C port as the wired charging interface for most portable devices, and forces manufacturers to offer the product for sale without a charger. Laptops benefit from a deferral until 28 April 2026.
What changed on 28 December 2024
Section titled “What changed on 28 December 2024”Twelve product categories (points 1.1 to 1.12 of the new Annex Ia of the RED) are covered from the very first placing on the market on or after 28 December 2024:
- Handheld mobile phones (smartphones included)
- Tablets
- Digital cameras
- Headphones
- Headsets
- Handheld video game consoles
- Portable speakers
- E-readers
- Keyboards
- Mice
- Portable navigation systems (GPS)
- Earbuds
For each of those categories, the requirements apply to every unit placed on the EU market in so far as the device can be recharged by wire.
Three technical requirements
Section titled “Three technical requirements”- USB-C port mandatory whenever the device supports wired charging. The interface must comply with a recent revision of the USB Type-C standard.
- USB Power Delivery (USB PD) support as soon as the device charges at voltages above 5 V, currents above 3 A or powers above 15 W. Any additional proprietary charging protocol must leave the full USB PD functionality available, whatever the charger used.
- Separate sale: the manufacturer must offer the product for purchase with or without an external charger, at the customer's choice. Forced bundling is prohibited. A harmonised pictogram on the packaging indicates whether a charger is included, and a label states the minimum and maximum supported power.
The April 2026 deferral for laptops
Section titled “The April 2026 deferral for laptops”Laptops are not concerned by the 28 December 2024 deadline. The legislator granted them an additional period until 28 April 2026, to let the industrial ecosystem converge on USB PD profiles capable of carrying high power levels (typically 65 W to 240 W). From that date, every laptop placed on the EU market must also feature a USB-C port that is USB PD compatible, and must be offered for sale without a charger.
In practice, manufacturers still have about sixteen months to prepare the transition: review of existing proprietary barrel jacks, qualification of the USB PD 3.1 profile (which covers the 100 W to 240 W range via the Extended Power Range), interoperability testing with third-party chargers already on the market.
What falls outside the obligation
Section titled “What falls outside the obligation”The directive proceeds by an exhaustive category list, not by a size or use criterion. Fall outside the obligation:
- Products not in one of the thirteen listed categories: smartwatches, fitness trackers, drones or any other product family absent from Annex Ia, whatever their size.
- Listed products that cannot be recharged by wire: the requirements apply "in so far as they are capable of being recharged by means of wired charging". A device charged exclusively by induction (Qi for example), with no wired charging interface, is not covered.
- Listed products without a rechargeable battery, for example running on disposable batteries.
The boundary questions therefore concern the category definitions and the wired-charging capability of the device: the manufacturer's analysis belongs in the RED technical file.
Why this directive
Section titled “Why this directive”The European Commission's argument hinges on three points:
- Consumer protection: avoiding the need to repurchase a charger with every new device or juggle incompatible cables.
- Reduction of electronic waste: the Commission has estimated at around 11,000 tonnes per year the waste from new chargers shipped unnecessarily with products whose owners already have one.
- Single charger market: a consumer can now buy any phone, tablet or headset in Europe knowing that a single USB-C/PD charger will cover the whole household.
This standardisation logic extends an industrial movement that was already well advanced: USB-C has become dominant across the vast majority of Android devices and across the entire Apple portfolio starting with the iPhone 15 (September 2023, in direct anticipation of the directive).
Practical impact for manufacturers
Section titled “Practical impact for manufacturers”For products whose proprietary charging interface pre-existed, the iconic case being Apple Lightning on iPhone up to the 14 generation, the transition entails:
- Mechanical redesign of the chassis to host a USB-C connector together with its ecosystem (retention clip, shielding, IP sealing gasket).
- Electronic redesign of the charging block: USB PD negotiation circuit (dedicated controller or MCU), thermal management aligned with the declared power range.
- Update to the RED technical file: article 3.3(a) must appear in the declaration of conformity alongside 3.1 through 3.3(c).
- Packaging update: "with/without charger" pictogram and min/max power label per the harmonised format.
- Transition inventory management: products placed on the market before 28 December 2024 remain saleable without modification, but any restart of production or new reference after that date must be compliant.
The main trap for a product department is forgetting the RED technical file update. Directive 2022/2380 does not create a new marking or a new label: it injects an additional requirement into the existing RED framework. A product fitted with a perfectly compliant USB-C port but whose declaration of conformity has not been revised remains legally non-compliant.
Connection to RED 3.3 cybersecurity
Section titled “Connection to RED 3.3 cybersecurity”The two recent RED 3.3 activations must be clearly distinguished:
| Sub-article | Topic | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| 3.3(a) | USB-C common charger | 28 December 2024 (laptops: 28 April 2026) |
| 3.3(d) | Network protection | 1 August 2025 |
| 3.3(e) | Personal data protection | 1 August 2025 |
| 3.3(f) | Fraud protection | 1 August 2025 |
A rechargeable portable IoT product placed on the market today must simultaneously demonstrate compliance with the USB-C port requirement (3.3a) and with the cybersecurity requirements (3.3d-f). The two evaluation campaigns are independent but are documented in the same RED Annex V technical file.
Beyond the European Union
Section titled “Beyond the European Union”Several jurisdictions are watching the European rollout closely:
- The United Kingdom has opened a consultation on whether to transpose an equivalent obligation, without a firm timeline so far.
- India has announced a phased rollout aligned with USB-C for smartphones over the 2025-2026 horizon.
- Other markets (Brazil, some Gulf countries) are discussing similar rules.
In practice, most global manufacturers adopt a single convergence strategy: one USB-C design for every market, rather than costly regional variants.
Key takeaways
Section titled “Key takeaways”- USB-C is now mandatory as the wired charging port for the twelve categories listed in the directive, since 28 December 2024.
- USB PD is required beyond 5 V, 3 A or 15 W; proprietary fast-charging profiles are no longer accepted on their own.
- Separate sale of the charger is a consumer right, indicated by a harmonised pictogram.
- Laptops follow on 28 April 2026.
- Compliance goes through a RED technical file update: no new marking, but one additional requirement inside the existing CE marking.
Going further
Section titled “Going further”- RED scope: products covered and excluded
- RED harmonised standards: full table by article
Sources & references
- Directive (EU) 2022/2380, common charger , EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2380/oj
- RED Directive 2014/53/EU, article 3.3a , EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/53/oj