Revised Directive and Directive Guidance on EU Universal Chargers

In recent years, due to the innovation and rapid development of ICT technology, various types of charging interfaces and charging solutions have appeared on the market for electronic devices. However, due to the non-uniformity and incompatibility of charging interface specifications, on the one hand, a large amount of electronic waste has been generated, resulting in a waste of electronic resources, and on the other hand, it has also brought great inconvenience to consumers.

In order to promote the green and digital transformation of the EU, improve the convenience of consumers, and establish a universal charging solution, the EU officially published the revised Directive (EU) 2022/2380 on universal chargers in the Official Gazette on December 7, 2022, to supplement the specific implementation requirements of 3.3 (a) of the RED Directive 2014/53/EU for universal charging interfaces.

The revised directive mainly covers the following contents:

All relevant devices must be equipped with a USB Type-C charging interface that complies with the EN IEC62680-1-3:2022 standard, and can be charged using a charging cable that complies with the same standard.

Devices that support fast charging (greater than 5V or 3A or 15W) should support the USB PD fast charging protocol in accordance with EN IEC62680-1-2:2022.

Consumers can choose to purchase devices without bundled chargers and manufacturers need to provide consumers with information about the charging performance of the device.

The revised directive covers 13 categories of wireless devices, including smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, handheld game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems and laptops.

The mandatory implementation dates for various products are:

Except for laptops, the mandatory implementation dates for the other 12 categories of products are December 28, 2024.

The mandatory implementation date for laptops is April 28, 2026.

In order to help all parties better understand these regulations and maintain uniformity and consistency in the subsequent implementation process, on May 7, 2024, the EU Official Gazette also officially released Notice C/2024/2997, which is the official guidance document for the Universal Charger Directive. It answers various questions from industry parties about the implementation of the directive in the form of questions and answers.

Some key points are excerpted as follows:

Q1

Does the RED Universal Charger Directive only apply to rechargeable devices?

Yes. The Universal Charger Directive applies to (a) 13 categories of radio equipment listed in the directive; (b) equipped with removable or embedded rechargeable batteries; (c) can be charged by wired charging.

Q2

Can the 6-pin Type-C be used for charging?

No, only the USB C socket (12, 16 and 24 pin) specified in EN IEC 62680-1-3 can be used.

Q3

If a radio device contains an internal power supply, is it subject to the RED Universal Charger Directive?

Not applicable. Radio equipment that contains an internal power supply and can be powered directly by AC is not included in the RED Universal Charger Directive.

Q4

Are other types of charging sockets allowed in addition to USB-C sockets?

Other types of charging sockets are allowed as long as the radio equipment described in the directive is also equipped with a specified USB-C socket.

Q5

Are other dedicated charging protocols allowed in addition to USB-PD?

Yes, radio equipment greater than 5V, 3A or 15W needs to support the USB PD protocol. In addition to the USB PD protocol, other fast charging protocols are allowed to continue to be used as long as they do not affect the normal operation of the USB PD protocol.