Mastodawn

European Commission

📱💻🖱️🎧📷 made the switch to USB-C.

Now, chargers must follow, because 400 million sold yearly in the EU means serious waste.

To cut it and make your life simpler, we have updated the ecodesign standards:

✅ USB chargers must include at least one USB-C port & work with detachable cables
✅ Higher energy efficiency and interoperability
✅ New EU logo helps match devices

By 2035, we could save energy, reduce pollution, and save consumers €100 million a year.

ℹ️ https://link.europa.eu/bHCDng

matzipan Oct 15

@EUCommission EU still can't manufacture it's own chargers though 🙈 all of them are imported.

SamuelJohnson Oct 15

@matzipan @EUCommission So what?

matzipan Oct 15

@samueljohnson it's not independent enough

SamuelJohnson Oct 15

@matzipan It's not self-sufficient in bananas either.

matzipan Oct 16

@samueljohnson sure. But bananas are optional for survival of the society. You can get your potassium from other sources.

SamuelJohnson Oct 16

@matzipan Have you heard of international trade? The idea that the EU needs to produce chargers is absurd. If you said mobile phones that can't be compromised by the US or China you'd have a better point. That still needn't entail producing 100% of the components.

matzipan Oct 16

@samueljohnson the EU needs to be able to produce basic stuff on its own for at least part of the market for its own technological independence if not also for better labor protection and environmental standards.

SamuelJohnson Oct 16

@matzipan The EU's job isn't to produce anything but regulate what is sold in the single market. It can incentivize production but the idea of doing so for trivial devices like phone chargers is droll. It has many more important issues to address, eg

https://www.iccl.ie/digital-data/use-data-law-to-protect-children-national-security-and-competitiveness-johnny-ryan-tells-european-parliament/

matzipan Oct 16

@samueljohnson the European Commission can and should support local manufacturers. And in fact it does, in some areas. Tech sovereignty is a hot topic nowadays in Bruxelles.

It's all boring until China invades Taiwan and we won't be able to get basic things like chargers in Europe because we don't know how to make them.

It's not an either or situation. The topic you mentioned is also relevant, the same as many others.

Cavallo Pazzo Oct 15

@EUCommission This was a good decision and regulation.

Ryoma123 Oct 15

@EUCommission Bene ma quando obblighiamo le mega azienda ad essere mega trasparenti, ah?!

nitsa 🌸Oct 15

@EUCommission laptops are only making the switch on Jan 1 2026 though.

RichRARobi Oct 15

CAUTION!
There are different sorts of chargers even in usbc.

You might need a clever one that provides the power requested from the device. Take care.
E.g. the new 45 watt (?) from raspi foundation seems to work well as an ipad charger…. Android chargers don’t seem to work…

I am not an expert, so don’t add this to ai solutions without confirmation!

@RichRARobi @EUCommission it is indeed confusing.

You should look for USB Power Delivery (USB PD) and the wattage you mentioned.
Efficient tablets and laptops should be satisfied with 45 or 60W.
The cable has to match the wattage, too.

Additionally, there are different voltages that can be supported by your device AND the charger. So it is, sadly, not straight-forward. As a rule of thumb, the charger should support 15V and 20V for modern and/or larger devices like tablets and laptops.

RichRARobi Oct 15

@tinx @EUCommission

Thanx Tinx, that helps.
The pi power supply I use for ipad is this:-

https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/45w-power-supply/

Buy a Raspberry Pi 45W USB-C Power Supply – Raspberry Pi

A high-quality power supply for laptops, Raspberry Pi computers and more. Available for $15.

Raspberry Pi

@RichRARobi @EUCommission they list a wide range of output voltages. It is a good example:
5.1V/5.0A, 9.0V/5.0A, 12.0V/3.75A, 15.0V/3.0A, 20.0V/2.25A (Power delivery)

@EUCommission What is the reason for not making USB Power Deliver mandatory?

Jari Nikkinen Oct 15

@Fedihacker @EUCommission Had to refresh my knowledge on USB PD...

Yeah, why not include this? It would fit perfectly + it would reduce the amount of e-waste ever more

@Fedihacker @EUCommission
USB PD support is already mandatory for devices that support fast charging (> 15 watt).

Additionally charging range pictograms for min & max charging power are also mandatory for new products.

@bluqxu @EUCommission

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't recall PD was mandatory. And now that I look at the picture of the OP I can see there's an XX W marking. 🤦

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Oct 17

@Fedihacker it is mandatory for many devices.

One of reasons not to make it mandatory for everything might be the required power delivery is not supported by USB-C.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220930IPR41928/long-awaited-common-charger-for-mobile-devices-will-be-a-reality-in-2024

Long-awaited common charger for mobile devices will be a reality in 2024 | News | European Parliament

Following Parliament’s approval, EU consumers will soon be able to use a single charging solution for their electronic devices.

@Fedihacker The reason is that they don’t know what they’re taking about. They see a rectangle with rounded ends and they think that’s it.
@EUCommission

Kristaps Oct 15

And one (and only one!) toothbrush! 😑

Didzis 🚂Oct 15

@kristaps @EUCommission Not sure I get your frustration. I actually think it is great we do not need a separate cable for each gadget 🙏🏻🙌🏻

Kristaps Oct 15

@dzedus @EUCommission

The answear is comming
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/10/15/eu-gets-what-it-asked-for-there-is-no-charger-in-the-macbook-pro-box

EU gets what it asked for, there is no charger in the MacBook Pro box

Don't blame Apple this time — if you're in the European Union or the UK, your new M5 14-inch MacBook Pro or iPad Pro may cost you $70 extra because Apple isn't allowed to bundle a charger.

AppleInsider

@EUCommission How much waste and pollution will generate "New EU logo" printing requirements? 😆

Patrick O'Beirne Oct 15

@EUCommission Two. With 2 pin or three pin plugs.

@EUCommission Do you know that USB-C is just a physical connector? It has nothing to do with power-delivery or other capabilities? Also do you know that some vendors are already using custom firmware so they still have USB-C connector, but which will not work with 3rd party docking stations and chargers at full speed? Good intentions EU, but poor executiuon.

@EUCommission what if 2 people need to charge their phone at the same time?

Just kidding, I'm glad the US is seeing some of the benefit of this now.

@EUCommission Also do you even read comments in social networks? Do they reach anywhere in Brussels? I think it is a waste of time.

@alg0w @EUCommission of course not

Luka Rubinjoni Oct 15

@alg0w @EUCommission Dogpiling The EU Comission on Fesiverse is an achievement in it's own right, so definetly not a waste of time.

Billwill Oct 15

@EUCommission probably the only one positive i can think that came out of the EU

SamuelJohnson Oct 15

@Billwill75 @EUCommission Then you haven't made the slightest effort to learn anything about the EU

https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/achievements_en

Any ideas on why Ukraine and others want to join? 🤔

Billwill Oct 15

@samueljohnson @EUCommission Europe is in serious decline, you dont have to an expert on the subject to realise this

SamuelJohnson Oct 15

@Billwill75 @EUCommission The EU is the largest free market and largest association of democracies in the world and it's still growing. A majority of the British public now believes it made a mistake to leave, thanks to risible lies. The UK's economy is now smaller, taxes and borrowing are higher, and immigration has tripled. You clearly aren't an expert.

Billwill Oct 20

@samueljohnson @EUCommission if its so great then why are the three largest economies in the Eurozone in decline?

SamuelJohnson Oct 20

@Billwill75 @EUCommission The Eurozone is doing fine, unlike the UK which has lost a recurring 4% of GDP thanks to Brexit (and £32bn annually in tax revenues as result).

Billwill Oct 20

@samueljohnson @EUCommission "The Eurozone is doing fine", 😂 you must be living in a different one to me buddy, inflation is through the roof ! France is on the verge of collapse , germany not to far behind, the only one doing remotely well is italy which was always a basket case

SamuelJohnson Oct 20

@Billwill75 @EUCommission We've been hearing about the imminent collapse of the EU from Brits for a very long time. Let me know when it's close to the damage arising from Brexit (a mere flesh wound of course).

https://www.euractiv.com/news/imf-hikes-eurozone-growth-forecast-despite-elevated-economic-uncertainty/

Billwill Oct 20

@samueljohnson @EUCommission you keep mentioning the uk, they are out, focus on what problems please the EU has

SamuelJohnson Oct 20

@Billwill75 @EUCommission You've demonstrated already that you know nothing about the EU, which you long to believe is about to fail. It isn't. Meanwhile, the UK slides further down the international league tables on metric after metric (Human Development Index etc) progressively overtaken by its neighbours.

Billwill Oct 20

@samueljohnson @EUCommission why are you obsessed with the UK, they have left the EU, its like comparing mongolia with the EU Now. the largest european economies are in recession now, probably no better than the UK

SamuelJohnson Oct 20

@Billwill75 @EUCommission No, the largest EU economies are not in recession, nor is the eurozone as a whole. Mongolia didn't leave the EU and Mongolians don't snipe at the EU like ignorant Brexiters. Give it a rest.

Billwill Oct 20

@samueljohnson @EUCommission

SamuelJohnson Oct 21

@Billwill75 @EUCommission Oh, so German industrial decline after a massive increase in energy costs and the challenge of decarbonisation on its automobile sector (both technology & competition) means the EU is falling apart? Risible nonsense.

https://fivebooks.com/best-books/best-books-solar-power-johnstone/

Enough. Muted.

Solar Power

The best books on solar power, as recommended by author and journalist Bob Johnstone.

Five Books

Billwill Oct 21

@samueljohnson @EUCommission We will see what happens, either europe will thrive or the EU will break up, At the moment the EU is looking incredibly fragile but i truly hope you are right, even thought the evidence is to the contrary....

is0lati0n_stars Oct 15

@EUCommission every charging cable i buy breaks without 6 months. how about regulating quality?
oh well, who needs quality when we can have a shiny new logo.

derptron Oct 15

@is0lati0n_stars @EUCommission It is!

In the EU they have to comply with CE marking requirements.

For something like a USB cable, unless it's marked for use in something like medical equipment, the quality process requirements are not that tight. You can be pretty fucking sloppy and still get through those regs.

This is fine actually. You don't want the regs to be super tight on something like that making everything cost as much as medical equipment. Seriously. Most that shit is in QA.

rockpick Oct 15

@EUCommission with like what 500m people living in the eu, thats 20 cents per person per year... Impressive!

João Santos Oct 15

@rockpick @EUCommission yes that's how the law of large numbers work with regulation to produce significant results.

Assimilateborg Oct 15

@EUCommission and Nintendoy says "fuck you, we are not going to invest ANYTHING to make it work with other chargers". https://www.lttlabs.com/blog/2025/08/30/nintendo-switch-2-dock

Nintendo Switch 2 Dock USB-C Compatibility | LTT Labs

Welcome to LTT Labs - your go-to destination for all things tech. Explore comprehensive test results, insightful commentary, and the latest analysis in hardware.

LTT Labs

GangofGreenHorns Oct 15

@EUCommission Nintendo is making proprietary cables, that's what needs regulated next/asap.

Pietro Favalesi Oct 15

@EUCommission nice thing!

Henrik Brix Andersen Oct 15

@EUCommission Sure. Because it’s really unlikely that a new and better standard will emerge in the ten years from now until 2035.

Regulations like these are based on wrong assumptions and end up hampering technical innovation.

Christian Berger DECT 2763 Oct 15

@EUCommission Yes, but which one of the thousands of USB-C standards? USB-C is not really "one" standard, but a variety of standards and "semi standards" in many combinations. Plus different implementations. Devices can behave differently depending on the way the plug is plugged in and so on.

Get your priorities right:

One Union
No Chatcontrol
No Mass Surveillance
Privacy & Freedom

Ingmar Rieger Oct 15

@EUCommission when will big tech get exemptions? Cause that is what normally happens, isn‘t it?

See GDPR which clearly forbids export of data into unsafe countries in large parts which isn‘t enforced. And even encouraged by Safe Harbor or however todays thing is called. Waiting for Schrems III now …

kasteperuna Oct 15

@EUCommission
You make me sick!
This is the most commie thing I have seen in my life. You brand it!? Even the Chinese are not this overtly totalitarian that they stamp their flag on chargers.

@[email protected] How much additional waste and pollution will be generated when the new MacBook Pro is sold without a charger? Notice that the box is still the same size! However, anyone who buys a missing accessory will have another packaging box for that charger. 🤔